The New Strain
by Cap'n Sanji
Summary: It has been two months since the homunculi left for the moon and life at Ginsei Private Academy has gotten pretty dull. A recon mission sounds like a good distraction, but what happens when the mission reveals something far more sinister at work? Spoilers
1. A Call to Arms

-- Well, first of all, fond greetings to any who have followed my work with the "Teen Titans" series and decided to check this out. Salutations to those who have never heard of me; I hope to soon count you as avid readers. I have decided to begin my attempt at non-script format writing here, in the world of "Busou Renkin". Yes, I know that the English version writes it as "Buso", but after years of Japanese classes, the lack of necessary extension on the letter bothers me. Also stemming from Japanese lessons, whenever I use someone's full name, the last name will be spoken first, in true Japanese fashion. More to the point, I loved this series because of all the action, humor, and romance. I was satisfied with the ending, but still a bit sad that it was over. Therefore, with my endeavor at continuing the story that I begin here, I pray that I am able to entertain you, as well as do justice to the great series provided to us by Watsuki-sensei. The story pulls from things I have seen in the manga which does not match up with parts of the anime. I hope it is not too confusing. Please enjoy, honored readers. – The Cap'n --

--Mandatory Disclaimer Thing to Satisfy the Higher-ups: I do not own any part of Busou Renkin. Although, my crew and I are planning a raid on Watsuki's fortress to steal it. I'll tell you how it goes in the next update. --

**The New Strain**

Part 1- A Call to Arms

It was the end of another day of mostly boring classes at Ginsei Private Academy. At the tone of the dismissal bell, many of the students were only too glad to finally escape from the tedious, everyday studies. True, not much else could be expected at school, but after defending your academy from an army of flesh-eating monsters, excitement at anything less seemed hard to come by. To one group of students, this rang especially true.

"Another day comes to a close," sighed Daihama, "and now it's back to the dorms again… Things have gotten pretty slow around here since Gouta-san and Busujima-san left under "top secret orders." Has it really been a whole week since then?"

"At least they got to _go_ somewhere and do something! Man, when is something _exciting _going to happen!?" whined Okakura, his ridiculously long pompadour swaying to and fro in the light autumn breeze. "It's been two months since you came back from your little "lunar expedition", Kazuki, and so far you've had no new missions or anything! Why would they call those guys in and not you!?"

Honestly, Okakura didn't care that much about what the Alchemic Regiment might be doing at the time. He was just upset at the sudden recall of Busujima Hanaka. Just when a cute girl finally came along, and he had seen a path open to him that would set him on equal-standing with Kazuki…! There was no justice in the world.

"What do you expect? With Victor and all of the homunculi gone, what did you think would be left for us to do?" came the tart reply from the girl at the head of the group. "Warrior Busujima is one of the most brilliant minds they have, so naturally they'd need her for any aftermath of the whole Victor fiasco. And Gouta was with us for most of that ordeal; they probably want a bystander's point of view on the entire event. They've already questioned Kazuki and I enough… In any case, it's not like we can just ask the Alchemic Regiment to create some new missions for us."

No-nonsense and straight to the point; that's just how Tokiko was. Steady relationship with Kazuki or no, her serious personality hadn't changed one bit. Nobody thought much of it, however. To her friends, Tokiko's unyielding firmness was no different than Mahiro's zeal or Rokumasu's strange calm; the quicker you accepted it, the better off you were.

"I know…" mumbled Okakura, trying to defend himself, "but even without you guys having any missions, why do we have to spend every day after school at the dormitories doing _nothing_? Why don't we take another trip out to the beach? That was fun!"

"It's the middle of autumn. The beach isn't open. Even if it were, the water would be freezing."

As always, Rokumasu was the first to point out to his big-haired friend the glaring problem with his idea. Sensing an argument, Kazuki quickly intervened with his own suggestion.

"Why don't we go for a bike ride? It's good weather for it."

"A…bike ride?" Okakura couldn't believe his ears. "Kazuki, I have a _motorized_ bike. Why would I want to bother with one that I actually have to pedal!?"

Kazuki responded with a big grin and a thumbs-up.

"Fitness is number one!"

Okakura heaved a huge sigh, knowing full well that Kazuki would not be swayed into another plan now that he had made up his mind. Mahiro gave an enthusiastic shout of agreement, Rokumasu a sort of non-committal shrug, and Daihama a bit of a nervous grin. It wasn't as though he _didn't_ exercise, it was just that with a body as large as his, doing anything that required you to cart your own weight around was a bit harder than it was for most other people. Chisato and Saori (otherwise known as Chii-chin and Saa-chan) were in total agreement with Mahiro. Their friendship with Kazuki's sister had led them to expect spontaneous decisions, and really, sometimes they proved to be a lot of fun. Besides, what could be dangerous about a bike trip?

"So, where should we go?" asked Rokumasu.

"Hmm…" Kazuki paused to think. "Maybe…the next district?"

Okakura nearly choked on his own tongue.

"Are you nuts!? Do you have any idea how far it is!?

"Yeah, but it'd be a great workout!"

Chii-chin stepped forward, a slightly scared look on her face.

"Actually…" she began, timidly, "I don't think it'd be a good idea to go very far from the school…"

"Huh? Why not?" Mahiro asked. "It'll be fun!"

"I know, it's just…well, on the news yesterday, they were talking about the town over in the third district to the West. In the past month, six people have disappeared from the area without a trace!"

This news left everyone surprised. Kazuki and Tokiko wondered for a moment if it could have been… No. That was impossible. All the homunculi were gone, except that nutcase Papillon, and he didn't eat people anyway. Besides, last they'd heard, he'd been seen in the skies over Kyushu.

"Alright," Kazuki relented, "maybe a quick race around the block, then?"

"Alright!"

Surprisingly, it was Tokiko who made the first challenge to this suggestion.

"But…we don't have enough bikes to go around! I don't even own one!"

"Aw, that's not a problem, Tokiko-san. You can ride on the back of mine! Just hang tight to my shoulders, and I can do the pedaling for both of us! No point in hiding it now! I'm a master when it comes to cycling!"

Tokiko turned slightly red and glanced away. Share a bike…clinging tightly to him, the whole time? Kazuki's idea did make sense, and she _was_, after all, his girlfriend, but somehow, standing amidst these friends of hers that seemed to overreact to every small matter, Tokiko was sure that she would regret it if she agreed to such a thing. Was it worth the embarrassment?

Fortunately she was saved the bother of deciding.

"Tsumura-san! Mutou-kun!"

It was right at that moment that Hayasaka Ouka came running down the path towards them. By the look of her, she had clearly been running for a fair stretch, as she was very red in the face and was panting heavily as she approached. There seemed to be a sense of urgency in her expression.

"Ouka-senpai? What brings you here? You wanna come with us on our bike ride?"

Ouka shook her head as she struggled to catch her breath, sending huge ripples through her mane of dark hair. Finally she raised her eyes and gasped out a few words.

"Behind…school…needs…to talk to you…"

Tokiko's eyebrows raised at this.

"What? Who wants to talk to us?" she inquired.

Ouka finally regulated her breathing and straightened up.

"I just met him behind the school building. He asked me to find you two. He says it's a matter of great importance!"

"Who?"

"Captain Bravo!"

Tokiko and Kazuki's eyes widened as they exchanged a glance.

"Commander?"

"Bravo's here?"

Commander Sakimori, or Captain Bravo as he was better known, was an interesting man. Sure, he was great fun to have around, and if anyone could liven up a boring afternoon, it was him. However, his presence anywhere always indicated that something big was about to happen. The whole ordeal with the L.X.E. and Victor had been proof of that. Kazuki hoped that they weren't about to be asked to hunt and kill another Alchemist Warrior, as the Alchemic Regiment had once tried to do to him. The very thought made him sick to his stomach.

"Well," Tokiko said, "we'd better see what this is about. Lead the way, Ouka."

"Sorry, I can't. I must go and find Shusui next; we'll be joining you later. Good luck!"

Ouka dashed away in search of her twin brother, leaving the others to contemplate her message.

"Well, this is more like it!" Okakura grinned. "Things are finally getting interesting!"

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Just as Ouka had said, Captain Bravo was indeed waiting just behind the school for Kazuki and Tokiko to appear. What really got their attention though, was that Bravo was wearing his metal jacket Busou Renkin- the Silver Skin. Tokiko became a bit worried at seeing this. The kakugane were all supposed to have been recalled until the time arose for the Alchemic Regiment to continue using them. What could possibly have happened?

"Good afternoon, Warrior Kazuki. Warrior Tokiko. Oh…and all of you as well," Bravo greeted them. "I hope you haven't been tearing the dormitories apart without me here to watch all of you".

"It's good to see you again, Bravo!" said Kazuki.

"Where have you been all this time?" Mahiro wanted to know.

"How can you see where you're going, dressed like that?" quipped Rokumasu.

Tokiko, as usual, was all business.

"What's happening, Commander? Why have you been issued your kakugane?"

"I'm sorry to have to ask anything of you two this soon, but I've come here under direct orders from Commander-General Shousei to bring the two of you to the Alchemic Regiment's home base," said Bravo. "We've got a crisis on our hands that may be alchemy-related and we need every available Warrior on the job! Are you two up to it?"

Kazuki gave a sharp salute with a grin.

"Reporting fit for duty, Captain Bravo!"

Tokiko gave a nod of assent.

"Bravo!! Then let's send the message to our transport…"

Captain Bravo pulled a cellular phone from a pocket of the Silver Skin and muttered something into the mouth piece. Afterwards, he hung up the phone, slipped it back into his pocket and turned towards the East, his eyes on the sky.

"Bravo…," Kazuki began, tentatively, "what exactly is this crisis? We're not being sent out to exterminate a fellow Warrior, are we?"

"No," answered Bravo, "nothing like that. Just wait until we return to the base, Warrior Kazuki. We will be able to better explain everything then. Incidentally…"

Bravo turned his head towards them, peering out from between the brim of his hat and the top of his collar.

"What were you setting out to do when I sent young Miss Hayasaka to find you? I hope I haven't interrupted anything special?"

"Onii-san was going to lead us all on a cycling race!" Mahiro chimed in.

"Oh? Well then, how about this? When this entire situation has been handled, I'll come back here with these two, then I'll bring you all to the ideal spot for a bike expedition? Plenty of open space and some pretty decent hills. I'll even join you!"

"Yay!" Mahiro cheered. "Bravo, you're the best!"

About that time, the sound of a propeller could be heard, and a large, black military helicopter came rocketing towards them out of the blue. The symbol of the Alchemic Regiment was stamped on the side. Once it got close enough, the copter hovered in place and lowered down a rope ladder.

"Come, Warrior Kazuki, Warrior Tokiko. We must leave now," Bravo declared. "You kids wait here at the school. I'll tell you everything once we find out what-"

"Oh, no you don't!" shouted Okakura "Were going with you! This time, we want to know everything that's going on, as it happens!"

"O-Okakura!" Daihama sputtered, trying to silence his friend, "That's not our decision to make!"

Rokumasu rubbed his chin with one hand. "But it would be interesting to see the base of the Alchemic Regiment… What do you say, Bravo? Let us come along?"

"Well…." Bravo said, "I suppose there wouldn't be any real harm to it. Okay, you may come with us under my protection. But, when the time comes to deploy Warriors Tokiko and Kazuki, you will not be going with them! These missions are Alchemist Warriors only, understand?"

"Agreed!" the others shouted as one. Tokiko helped Mahiro, Chii-chin and Saa-chan ascend first, then Okakura, Rokumasu and Daihama climbed up. Finally, Tokiko and Kazuki made their way up the ladder with Captain Bravo bringing up the rear. Once inside the chopper, Bravo began explaining the extra passengers to the pilot, but the interest of the others was firmly caught by the presence of another person.

"Gouta!?"

The sandy-haired teen grinned up at them from his seat. He was wearing his usual black pants and blue Hawaiian shirt.

"Welcome aboard, Tokiko-senpai, Mutou, and…wow, you brought a lot of people, Bravo. I already thought it was too crowded in here!"

With these words, Gouta shot a look of annoyance at another passenger. This one was near the back of the copter, in another seat, but his form was cloaked in shadow, making his identity impossible to decipher. He was also, if the loud snores coming from his direction were any indication, sound asleep.

"Warrior Gouta, that is no way to speak of your superior officer, no matter what resentments you might harbor towards him. You know that."

The speaker, Warrior Tateyama Chitose, stepped out of the cockpit, her eyes currently on the readout screen of her radar Busou Renkin, Hermes Drive.

"I know, but I can't help it. Maybe if he _acted_ more like a superior officer-"

"His personality aside," Chitose interrupted, "he has still proven himself a capable Alchemist Warrior time and again. As he is going to be your team leader for this upcoming mission, you'd best learn to tolerate it at the least. Of course, that goes for you two as well."

Chitose pointed a finger towards Kazuki and Tokiko, her expression showing that she was quite serious. Kazuki turned towards Bravo, looking confused.

"Bravo_— _we're not going to be under your command this time?"

"Unfortunately, no. I requested permission to lead you, but I'm needed elsewhere. Therefore, I had to delegate responsibility to the highest-ranked person available. You two, as well as Warrior Gouta will be under the authority of my Assistant Commander-"

At that moment the shadow in the back of the copter made a loud snorting noise and awoke with a start.

"Someone say my name? I vote for Commander Bravo's plan!"

Whoever it was had a rather high-pitched voice for a man. The type of voice that hid impish laughter behind it. The type of voice one might expect from someone whose middle name was "Trouble". The type of voice that told Tokiko, instinctively, that she was not going to like whoever owned it.

"The voting was over with hours ago, Assistant Commander," Chitose announced, looking rather tight-lipped as she addressed the half-asleep shadow. "Even so, please wake up. Your new charges have arrived."

"Oh, is that so?" yawned the mystery man, "Alright, alright, I'm awake now, Chitose-chan…"

Chitose's mouth became thinner yet at the informal greeting. The man stood up and stepped into a better-lit section of the chopper, revealing his full form. He seemed to be young, around college-age at most, stood roughly five-foot-ten and was thin, but quite muscular in the shoulders. He was garbed in a black, sleeveless shirt that had the symbol of the Alchemic Regiment in white on the chest, fingerless black gloves, a pair of combat fatigues with enormous cargo pockets, and a pair of thick-soled black boots that were covered in buckles all down the ankles. The fatigue pants were a camouflage pattern, spatters of black and dark green; the flap of each pocket was a hexagon shape and, like his shirt, bore a white symbol indicating the Alchemic Regiment. He had thick, messy hair that was a dark, forest green shade, and was held up out of his eyes with a black headband, tied at the back. Why he bothered to keep his hair out of his eyes was a mystery, as they were squinted enough to appear shut. With his squinted eyes added to a pointed nose and thin mouth, the assembled teenagers all thought the same thing at the same moment.

_He's a __**green **__fox!?_

"Oh…" said the mysterious youth, a playful grin crossing his features, "so these are the ones I'm getting teamed with? Thanks, Commander, you shouldn't have!"

With that, the young man ran over and draped his arms around the shoulders of Saa-chan, Chii-chin, and Mahiro.

"My new teammates are cute ones…in school-girl uniforms, too! You three want some of my private stock of _sake_ once we get back to the base? Oh, wait, I suppose you're not old enough to drink yet, are you? Well, maybe just some tea?"

The three girls grinned nervously, unsure how to explain things to this man, and feeling a slight stinging in their eyes; the smell of stale liquor radiated from his body like a poisonous gas.

"Er…Assistant Commander, those girls are not even within the ranks of the Alchemic Regiment. You are to be teamed with these three." Chitose said, indicating Tokiko, Kazuki, and Gouta. "You _did_ read the dossier I gave you on them?"

"Er…yeah, I might've looked it over at some point. Hang on…"

Chitose gave a barely-noticeable roll of her eyes. The young man, apparently not noticing, reached into one of his cargo pockets and pulled out a crumpled scrap of paper.

"Let's see now…You must be…Nakamura Gouta…17 years…blood type AB…only recently became a Warrior, but has displayed above-average skill in the use of Busou Renkin and superior tactics abilities. And, lemme see…that means this here…is yours."

The young man reached into his pocket again, and tossed something to Gouta. The sandy-haired alchemist caught it and held it up to the light. A silver-colored metal hexagon with an inscription on the front; the symbol of the Alchemic Regiment as well as the serial number LV. (55) Gouta pocketed the kakugane, but the look he was giving the man hadn't become any less critical. Tokiko was beginning to see why he had seemed so annoyed with this guy's presence.

"Next," continued the mystery-man, "we have…Tsumura Tokiko…oh, so you're Tokiko, huh? I've heard a few things; maybe I should just call you "Tsumurin"? Heh…"

If this man had been possessed of normal fears, or at least common sense, he likely would have vacated the aircraft after speaking those words; Tokiko's face plainly stated that she now wanted him to die. No, first to be broken, then disemboweled, then bled out, and _then _he could die. If it weren't for Kazuki holding her under the arms, she probably would have tried to do so, too. Either unaware or uncaring of the obvious bloodlust beaming in his direction, the so-called Assistant Commander continued.

"Currently age 18…heh, well, _that's _out of the way, then… uh...geez this writing is tiny…"

"Try opening your eyes all the way, genius…" muttered Gouta.

"…blood type A, a truly outstanding Warrior, highly skilled in both hand-to-hand combat and Busou Renkin. I'll bet you are…" whispered the youth, glancing at the scar across Tokiko's face, "but that remains to be seen. In any event, this belongs to you."

With another dip into his pocket, the man flipped a second kakugane into Tokiko's hands; serial number XLIV. (44) Tokiko ran her fingers over the inscribed numerals, feeling slightly nostalgic. She had only been without her kakugane for two months, and yet, having it in her hand now, it seemed like an old friend who had been gone for years and suddenly returned for a surprise visit. For just a second, Tokiko entertained the idea of activating her Busou Renkin and teaching this upstart _exactly_ how skilled she was…but no. Not with Bravo standing right there. Another time, perhaps.

"And that just leaves…Mutou Kazuki. Currently age 16, blood type O. Has shown powerful ability with Busou Renkin, all-around good personality, and- Oh… How interesting…"

The man pointed his squinty eyes at Kazuki, as if studying him.

"So it's you…the one once called Victor III…as well as the one who defeated my Commander. Oh yes, I have heard a _lot_ about you, Mutou-kun. Heh heh…"

He was smiling now, a strange type of smile. Kazuki couldn't tell if this man was trying to be friendly or challenging. It seemed like he was almost looking…competitive?

"Anyway," the man continued, the bizarre smile suddenly swept from his face to be replaced again by the sleepy expression, "I don't have a kakugane for you, but that shouldn't be a problem. You currently possess Black Kakugane III, its' Victorizing effects neutralized by the power of a White Kakugane, and you are using it as both a replacement heart and the means to materialize your Busou Renkin, correct?"

"Uh…yeah, that's how it works, I guess," Kazuki answered. "So…who exactly are _you_?"

"Huh? Oh, me? I am Assistant Commander under Commander Sakimori "Bravo" Mamoru. My name is Kakusu Takeshi. Age 20, blood type A, formerly a member of the Alchemic Regiment Special Ops."

Takeshi jerked a thumb at the sleeveless shirt he wore.

"My hobbies include, but are not limited to, chasing cute girls and drinking _sake_. The order of those two tends to get mixed around a lot," he added. "So…instead of three pretty school-girls I'm teamed with these three, huh? Well, I suppose it's not all bad. You're quite attractive too, Tokiko-chan."

The Assistant Commander grinned in what he apparently figured was a suave manner. Gouta gritted his teeth; he might have lost out to Kazuki already, but even so, talking to Tokiko-senpai like _that_…! Tokiko let out a low growl and fingered her kakugane. Sensing danger, Kazuki placed a hand on her shoulder with a pleading smile. Tokiko hesitated, then reluctantly withdrew her hand from the kakugane, earning a pleased look from Kazuki. Noting their expressions, Takeshi's eyebrows raised as comprehension dawned.

"Oh…I see…My apologies, Mutou-kun," he chuckled. "Didn't know she was spoken for. Well, that's fine. Just means a change in the rules."

"Rules?"

"Yep. "Look but don't touch." Ah…maybe just an _occasional_ touch…"

_What a pervert_. Tokiko thought. _The women of the world would be much safer if I split him open now…_

Sensing danger again, Kazuki hastily spat out a question.

"What exactly is an Assistant Commander anyway?"

"A new rank that we're testing out," answered Bravo. "It is a rank assigned to those who we feel are above the level of the average Alchemic Warrior, but not quite ready to be made a Commander. They are then assigned to specific Commanders to handle the missions that their Commander can't be spared for."

"Commander Hiwatari has one, too," Gouta interjected. "Busujima-san was recently promoted and now works directly with him."

"Lucky devil," Takeshi chimed in, "He gets sweet little Hanaka-chan all to himself. The shy types have an appeal that is all their own…"

At this, even Okakura was showing definite signs of wanting to throttle the amorous fox-faced man.

"I wanted the position myself," Chitose said, the barest touch of jealousy hidden in her calm voice, "but in the final results, Assistant Commander Kakusu was just slightly more qualified."

"Aw, stop, Chitose-chan, you're embarrassing me…and just call me Takeshi."

The Hermes Drive gave a shrill beep just then and Chitose glanced at the screen.

"We're nearly there. Descent to begin in two minutes."

"So," Bravo stated, "that about covers the introductions I think. Once we arrive at the home base, Commander-General Shousei himself will brief you on your mission. It should be a fairly easy one for a team like yours."

Even with his face mostly hidden behind the Silver Skin, Kazuki could tell that Bravo was giving them an encouraging smile. He whipped his right hand up into a sharp salute.

"No problem, Captain Bravo! We will definitely accomplish our mission!"

Bravo's smile widened before he leaned towards Kazuki and spoke in an undertone.

"By the way…I hope you can forgive the…irregular conduct of my lieutenant. He is truly an excellent warrior and a valuable asset to the regiment. He just has some less-than-desirable quirks I haven't been able to eradicate yet. Were it left up to me, I would lead this mission myself."

Kazuki grinned in a carefree manner.

"Don't worry," he whispered back, "if he's been learning from you, then he must be a good guy. I think we'll get along just fine."

Easily accepting the situation, as he was prone to do, Kazuki put out an arm to shake hands with the Assistant Commander. However, Tokiko slapped his hand down and stepped forth with a cry of protest.

"Commander, this is absurd! You can't really expect us to perform a mission under the command of someone like _him_!" she exclaimed, openly pointing right at Takeshi. "He doesn't even act like an Alchemic Warrior, let alone an Assistant Commander! Any of us three would be better suited for leading this mission!"

A hush fell upon the assembled group and Tokiko was painfully aware of everyone staring at her. After a moment, the silence was broken first by Chitose.

"Warrior Tokiko, as I said to Warrior Gouta, it would be better to treat your superior officer-"

"Prove it."

All eyes turned to Takeshi, who was standing with his arms crossed.

"What?" Tokiko said.

"Well, you're so certain that you can do better than I can, Tokiko-_chan_," Takeshi scoffed, emphasizing the word just to irritate her, "so prove it. I'll give you a fair chance. Once we reach the base, I'll take you on. My Busou Renkin against yours. In fact, you did say "any of you three", correct? So I'll face all of you. One at a time, or all together; whatever order you want."

Tokiko stared blankly for a moment, then the warrior glow leapt into her eyes.

"Fine. If any one of us can beat you, then we do the mission ourselves and you get lost."

"But if I beat the lot of you," Takeshi chuckled, "then I call the shots, and I hear no more complaining from you or the mumbler over there."

He jerked his head at Gouta, who looked surprised. Takeshi snickered.

"Next time you wanna have a funny thought about my eyes, try keeping it in your head where I can't hear it, _genius._"

"Now really," Chitose began, "it isn't up to us to decide who goes on the missions…"

Chitose trailed off at a look from Bravo.

"Let it go, Chitose. This may be just what this team needs to pull it together."

"So!" Takeshi said, "we got the terms straight? You know…"

His squinted eyes opened slightly, just enough to show his dark green irises as he grinned wickedly down at Tokiko.

"You can still back out, Tsumurin. Just say _please_."

If Tokiko had even had any doubts at the start, that comment, coupled with the hated nickname (where _had_ he heard that name from!? Ah well, one more thing to ask him once she kicked his stupid fox-face in.) would have driven them clear out of her mind. Tokiko stuck out her hand with a defiant glare.

"You're on."

The two shook hands, Tokiko doing her best to crush his large knuckles, although her small hands were far from up to the task.

"You'll be _sorrrrrryyyyyy_…." Takeshi crooned, in an annoying sing-song tone.

"I'll only regret not meeting you sooner so I could beat you down that much quicker."

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-- Okay! One chapter! We have one complete chapter of non-scripted writing! Did I kill it yet? Well, we'll see how it goes, I guess. I am beyond happy to be the first to submit a fiction for this catagory of the Action/Adventure genre. And if you are going to ask, NO, Takeshi is not an OC version of myself, or any of my friends, nor is he significantly more powerful than any of the three on his team. I fancy that I, know where to draw the line with OC's when it comes to power levels, and I NEVER do self-inserts. Nobody cares what I might be doing in an anime, so I'm not gonna write it. I will happily accept reviews of all kinds, but just so it is clear, here is my policy on replying:

1. Nice Reviewers- This includes people who have helpful advice, things they might wish to see, or generally just want to say how much they enjoy the story. Please be willing to wait a minimum of 24 hours for a reply; I've got school and a job to take care of.

2. Critics- Basically harsh critiques that are helpful, but not always nice. Well, that's fine. You're entitled to your own honest opinion, and I enjoy getting a blunt point of veiw on my work, too. It takes all kinds, you know? If I've done something to upset you, bring it to my attention. Unless it completely interferes with the story flow I have planned, I will do my best to set things right. Just, please...watch the language, okay? That shouldn't be too much to ask. As above please give me 24 hours to mull things over after getting the review.

3. Flames- Profanity. Most of it just a string of curses that insults the writer and does not often, if ever, touch on anything in the actual story. These are normally written by those who are either Elitists, (people whose work is very good, but they think all other writers are beneath them) or jealous fools who can't actually write themselves. These are not reviews, they are pointless rants by those who have lost sight of what creative writing and free expression are all about. I don't care if they get sent to me, however. It takes more than a few words to deter my love of creating. Flame-writers, please wait 6-8 weeks for your nonsense to be ignored.

Well, that's about it for now. Hoping to see all of you readers in the next update. Fair warning, however; I am also working on a Teen Titans fiction, so updates will be less than frequent. Forgive me. - The Cap'n--


	2. Battle Among Comrades

-- Wow! A heaping helping of thanks to all! I hardly expected the response to my first chapter to be so strong! You people flatter me, truly. Thank you for the reviews. At any rate, here be the much-anticipated chapter two. Takeshi's Busou Renkin actually started life as a suggestion from Hotaru-Oneechan, (see my profile for info on her.) and I evolved the idea as much as I dared. This chapter has a bit of a start at a match-up I hadn't considered before that was requested by a reader; I hope I didn't screw it up too badly. I'll build on it as the chapters go by. As I do with my Teen Titans work, I'll let you enjoy the chapter for now and give all my news, plans and excuses at the end. Cheers! -The Cap'n --

-- Disclaimer-like text: My raid on Watsuki-sensei's fortress failed horribly, so I still don't own Busou Renkin. For a manga-drawing pig-man, Watsuki's pretty brutal with a _shinai_. I've got the lumps to prove it. --

Part 2- Battle Among Comrades

The copter slowly descended down into a section of craggy rocks out on the ocean. As the aircraft got closer and closer to the ground, the rocks began to tremble, then a rift grew between them, steadily spreading into a circular opening, wide enough for the helicopter to fit through. A panel of metal with the Alchemic Regiment insignia rose through the opening to act as a helipad. The landing was made safely, then a new descent began as the metal platform lowered back down into the depths of the earth. Inside the opening, the base of the Alchemic Regiment was revealed in all of it's glory; long hallways, endless doors, and alchemists everywhere, all busily rushing around, shouting orders to each other. When the platform finally clicked into place, the door to the copter slid open and Okakura stumbled out, looking greener than Takeshi's hair.

"Oooh…I hate flying…every time, I feel like I'm gonna hurl…!"

Daihama's eyebrows shot up as his eyes filled with confusion.

"Wha-!? But…you're the one who wanted to come along in the first place!"

The others slowly filed out, with the last ones being Captain Bravo and Chitose. Kazuki was sighing resignedly, wondering how they had ever managed to get roped into a fight with the man who was supposed to be their commanding officer. He also wondered if he could go through with it. Tokiko and Gouta were both glaring at Takeshi, who strutted confidently out from the helicopter, humming to himself. A pair of headphones protruding from the pocket of his combat fatigues was plugged into his ears, and his fingers were tapping the sides of his pants in time with his hums.

_This guy thinks he already has it won!_ Gouta thought, a contemptuous sneer curling his lip. _Well, I'll make him pay for insulting Tokiko-senpai!_

Tokiko's thoughts were slightly more logical, however.

_Damn! I agreed to this perverted fox's terms without thinking. First of all, a creep or not, he's Bravo's adjutant. That means he has to be skilled. Also, he knows all about the three of us: our personalities, abilities, even our Busou Renkin! And then, _Tokiko thought, her eyes narrowing in annoyance, _there's the problem of us not knowing anything about his fighting style yet! This Kakusu Takeshi— what kind of Busou Renkin does he have?_

They made their way down a steel staircase to a long, wide hallway lined with doors on either side. Every door had a bold-printed label right above the door frame to indicate where it led. Mahiro was excitedly pointing at everything, Chii-chin and Saa-chan looked a bit worried, as if they felt out of place in such a militaristic environment, Daihama and Rokumasu were calmly glancing at the labels above the doors, and Okakura looked as if he was dangerously close to being sick. The helicopter ride still had his stomach doing flip-flops.

Bravo and Chitose, as well as Tokiko, Kazuki and Gouta had several Alchemist Warriors pause and call greetings to them; Kazuki recognized the faces of Inukai Rintarou and Negoro Shinobu. Takeshi was likewise waving his salutations to several people. The difference here was that every person he greeted was female. Most of them backed away the second they spotted him, shivering with revulsion. There were also a handful of them, Tokiko noticed as she repressed a gag reflex, that screamed with hearts reflected in their eyes as he passed; Tokiko decided she would be better off not asking.

One person actually strode over to join their march; the towering battle junkie, Ikusabe Genji. He grinned brutishly down at them and clapped one big paw on Takeshi's shoulder.

"Hey," Ikusabe boomed, "how's my favorite trainee doing today?"

"Just fine, thanks for asking, Warrior Ikusabe." Takeshi grinned back.

"Although, I suppose I should be addressing you as "sir" now, huh? Mister Assistant Commander!"

The two burst out laughing, hanging on each other's shoulders like two old friends. Tokiko raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"What? Warrior Ikusabe, how does such a renowned Alchemist Warrior as you know someone like this Ero-Gitsune?

-- That's a nickname Tokiko will likely be using for Takeshi for the duration of the story. Loosely translates as Perv-Fox, I believe. Those who are fluent in Japanese may feel free to correct me. – The Cap'n --

"Hey!" Ikusabe said, a slight edge building in his tone. "Don't you talk about my number one student that way! This boy here was my Warrior Apprentice when he was thirteen years old. After seven years of training him, look what I've made him into!"

"Yeah…" Tokiko muttered, very quietly. "Just _look_…"

"You were assigned to train this guy for seven years?" Gouta asked.

"That's right."

"Did you break a mirror, or something, Warrior Ikusabe?"

That got a laugh even from Takeshi. Ikusabe slowly stopped his chuckling enough to speak.

"I know; he's _does_ tend to have his mind on the female of the species a bit too often. But, well, so what? He's a young man, right? It just means he's healthy."

_Oh, this is rich._ Tokiko thought dryly. _A speech about health from a man who eats homunculi._

"So," Ikusabe said, "where are all of you headed? I thought you had a mission, Takeshi?"

"Need to settle a few issues in…leadership first," answered the Assistant Commander. "And the best way to do that is with a few quick sparring matches."

"Battle!" Ikusabe cheered, looking suddenly ecstatic. "Now you're speaking my language! Mind if I come and watch…sir?"

Ikusabe snickered a bit on the last word. Takeshi grinned at him.

"Sure. Come on with us. You should get a nice show out of it."

Eventually, the procession stopped in front of a door labeled "Danger Room".

"Okay! Here we are," Takeshi announced. "So…which one of you little punks wants to get beaten first?"

Tokiko gritted her teeth and pushed to the front of the group, golden eyes flashing dangerously.

"I'll go. And after I've carved you a few new orifices, you're going to get down on your knees and apologize to every woman in this base for your existence!"

"Gya ha ha ha ha! Don't count on it!" Takeshi snickered. "This won't even take five seconds!"

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Moments later, Tokiko and Takeshi were standing inside the Danger Room, staring each other down from ten feet apart. The room had been made up to look like a patch of forest, with an earthen floor, some scattered trees and other vegetation, and even a small pond in the corner. Bravo stood on the sidelines, to prevent the two from killing each other. The others were looking down into the room from an observation booth, fixed into the wall about thirty feet overhead. The observation booth was equipped with machinery to allow everything on the battlefield to be heard and seen clearly. Chitose tapped on a small microphone inside the booth and spoke into it.

"This match will be fought using your Busou Renkin. The match is over when one or both of you is unable to fight, or if one or both of you give up. Please begin at the start signal."

The two faced each other, Tokiko glaring as she pulled her kakugane out of her school uniform. Takeshi smirked and slid his hands into his pockets, looking very laid-back. After a few seconds, a loud buzzer sounded, and Tokiko raised the kakugane high above her head.

"Busou Renkin!"

Tokiko's Death Scythe Busou Renkin, the Valkyrie Skirt, was indeed a lethal piece of work. The four robotic arms could move faster than the eye could follow, and accurately strike a target as small as a marble. The blades were incredibly sharp, able to cleave through flesh, bone, and even the tough hide of a homunculus with relative ease. With a weapon like that at her disposal, there seemed little chance that Takeshi could beat her.

So, suffice to say, she was more than a bit surprised when the Valkyrie Skirt failed to appear.

"Huh!? What-!? How did-!?"

Tokiko struggled to link some coherent speech together as she noticed the full extent of her problem; her kakugane had vanished from her hand! She glanced around, slapped her pockets, even checked under her feet, but saw no sign of the precious metal hexagon.

"Heh…I told you I'd win!"

Tokiko glanced up in shock at her madly grinning opponent as he slowly withdrew his right hand from his pocket, pulling out a gleaming silver object.

"Lose something, Tsumurin? Besides this match, I mean?"

He held up the item in his hand so that all could see; kakugane number XLIV. (44) Somehow, before Tokiko's Busou Renkin could activate, he'd stolen her kakugane right out of her hand!

"What!? No…No way! When did you take that!?"

Overhead, Chitose's voice sounded again.

"I'm sorry, Warrior Tokiko, but with your kakugane in the possession of your opponent, we cannot let this match go further. We must rule that you are unable to fight. This round goes to Assistant Commander Kakusu."

"I told you to just call me Takeshi!"

Tokiko's head was spinning. _How _had he gotten her kakugane!? He hadn't even moved! He'd just stood there from the very start with his hands in his pockets like a-!

Wait. His hands…in his pockets…?

Tokiko glanced up, taking a second look at the camouflage-design pants. The ones with the Alchemic Regiment's symbol on the flaps of the cargo pockets. The _hexagon-shaped_ cargo pockets…

Oh…no way. No. Possible. Way. Something _that _ridiculous? It couldn't be…

Takeshi's smirk widened at the expression on Tokiko's face. "So…figured it out, huh? Took you long enough."

"No…that's not…don't tell me-!"

"Yup! You guessed it!"

Takeshi spread his hands wide in a proud gesture as his grin seemed to engulf the entire lower half of his face.

"Busou Renkin of the Combat Fatigues! Pocket Dimension!"

"P-Pocket…Dimension…?" Tokiko stammered, still shell-shocked by the quick loss.

"Yeah. Sorry for not telling you sooner, but I prefer to have my Busou Renkin active and worn on my person most of the time. Just like Captain Bravo! The Commander is something of an idol of mine."

"How…?" Tokiko asked, indicating the Pocket Dimension.

"Well…now that you know _what_ my weapon is…" Takeshi said, "I suppose it's alright to tell you how it works. Look here, now. What looks like denim fabric is actually thousands of metal fibers all interwoven several times over! Thanks to that, these pants are light enough for easy motion, but even the sharpest blade can't cut 'em! As to the special ability…"

He reached down and flipped open the cargo pockets, then began pulling an extraordinary collection of things out of them: a long length of rope, two assault rifles, ten spare magazines for each gun, an entire tent set, an umbrella, at least twenty fragmentation grenades, a twelve-inch hunting knife, a dark green canteen, several flares, a tiny, corked gourd marked with the kanji for _sake_, with a dish for drinking, a compass, and, for some very strange reason, a cheese sandwich.

-- I am _very_ sorry to steal that gag from you, Kenko, in the unlikely event that you're reading this, but it was just too funny to pass up. Think of it as a tribute to your comedic genius. No hard feelings, okay? – The Cap'n --

"Pocket Dimension's cargo pockets let me store an infinite number of things into an alternate space that it creates…provided those items fit through the pocket opening. This," he said, waving a hand at the pile of equipment and the sandwich, "doesn't cover half of what I've got stored in there! The hip pockets, on the other hand, let me stretch my hands through the other dimension and re-insert them back into this dimension anywhere I like! I can do something like stealing a kakugane right out of your hand from all the way over here…or, maybe something like this."

Takeshi slid his hand back into his pocket. A second later, Tokiko jumped when she felt something pinch her bottom. Her face turned deep crimson as she put two and two together; that perv had goosed her!

"That…that…that filthy bastard!" Gouta fumed, his face the shade of a ripe tomato, and steam gushing from his ears. "How dare he…do _that_ to Tokiko-senpai!"

Kazuki glanced at Gouta, then back at the battlefield, confused. "What? What did he do? What happened?"

Rokumasu stepped over to whisper in Kazuki's ear. Kazuki nodded twice, then cringed as Rokumasu finished.

"Uh-oh. He shouldn't have done that…"

"Hm? What's wrong, Onii-san?" Mahiro asked innocently.

"Well…" Kazuki mumbled, turning slightly red himself, "Let's just say over the past couple months, I've discovered a few things you should never do to Tokiko-san and leave it at that, all right? You'll see."

Gouta suddenly seemed to trip over his feet, and fell backward at this, slamming his head against the floor, while Mahiro's friends blushed and Okakura's eyes sprang to life with the flames of jealousy.

"Kazukiiiiiii….!" he began, as the flames sprang higher. Kazuki put a hand behind his head with an embarrassed smile and turned slightly redder.

Down below, Takeshi was laughing uproariously.

"Gya ha ha ha ha! So, now do you see? That is the awesome power of my Busou Renkin! It is ingenious in its simplicity! It is a marvel in its own time! It is-!

However, exactly what else Pocket Dimension was, they didn't get to hear. A second or two after his underhanded grope had landed, another hand made its' mark; Tokiko's, punching Takeshi square in his pointed nose and knocking him flat on his back. Her kakugane spun out of his grip and landed neatly in Tokiko's palm. Seconds after, Takeshi glanced up through the stars that were orbiting his head to see Tokiko's boiling mad face, framed by four blades, each of which was hovering over a different section of his body.

"I _was_ considering just giving you a few deep cuts in our match," Tokiko snarled. "Now, just for that, I'm going to rip out your guts!"

The Valkyrie Skirt's blades pulled back, then shot downwards like metal lightning bolts, aiming at his midsection, a technique that would mean instant disembowelment for Takeshi. However, before they managed to touch the smarmy fox-man, each of the blades was brought to a screeching halt as they were entangled in what appeared to be a long chain formed of tiny metal hexagons. Tokiko also felt a pressing sensation on her torso. Glancing down, she saw that she was now wearing a dark blue jacket lined with silver over her school uniform.

"Silver Skin Reverse."

Tokiko glanced back and saw Captain Bravo towering over her, now fully visible thanks to his Silver Skin being wrapped around her. He didn't look angry, but he was not smiling.

"Warrior Tokiko, your match has already ended. Furthermore, regardless of my Assistant Commander's behavior, I cannot allow you to kill him."

Tokiko's warrior fire slowly died out of her eyes before she nodded her understanding and deactivated her Busou Renkin, albeit very reluctantly. Bravo called the Silver Skin back to his own body, and the colors shifted back to their usual state. Takeshi got up, chuckling, and trying to stem his nosebleed.

"Thanks, Commander, I owe you one."

"Are you hurt, Assistant Commander Kakusu?"

"Me? Nah. I've been slapped a lot harder than that. Besides…," he added, flexing the fingers on his right hand, "totally worth it."

"Bravo. Don't ever do that again. Next time, I'm helping _her_."

Takeshi's grin shattered and fell from his face in tiny shards. "Ah…Understood, Commander."

"Furthermore, you are not to win your next bouts in the same manner. You will either fight in earnest, or this little facade stops right here."

"I get that, Commander, but I had no choice in that match! I can't hit a girl, even if she is a Spartan! It's just not in me to harm the fairer sex."

"You've got one seriously skewed set of morals, Ero-Gitsune!" Tokiko raged.

Takeshi ignored her and glanced up at the observation booth, grinning again as he began re-inserting everything into his pockets.

"So," he laughed, "who's next?"

"I'll go!" yelled Gouta into the microphone. "Watching you harass Tokiko-senpai has really pissed me off! You just wait right there!"

Gouta turned and dashed out of the observation booth. Takeshi turned his squinty smile on Tokiko.

"Guess you'd better get topside and watch, then. Good match, huh?"

"I hate you."

Takeshi shrugged. "Wish I could say the feeling was mutual, but you're just too cute, Tokiko-chan."

"Get bent!" Tokiko spat. She turned away and stormed up the stairs to the observation booth, muttering murderous thoughts under her breath. As she was stalking upwards, she passed Gouta, who was looking every bit as angry as she felt.

"Don't worry, Senpai," he reassured her, "I'll cut that stupid smirk right off his face! He'll pay for insulting you like that!"

"Gouta."

He paused, and turned around, catching the seriousness of Tokiko's voice.

"When he took my kakugane, I didn't even notice. He managed to steal it in the split second before my Busou Renkin could form, and he accomplished it without ever giving anything away."

"Senpai…"

Tokiko raised her head and locked eyes with him. "This guy is good. He may be a pervert and an idiot, but he knows how to fight. Be careful."

"Of course, Senpai!"

As Gouta continued down the staircase, Tokiko's thoughts centered on Takeshi's bizarre Busou Renkin. Pants, of all things! Even if they _were_ technically military gear, how something like that could be considered a weapon-

Tokiko stopped dead in her tracks. _No…it's not a weapon. Not an effective one against homunculi. No matter how many explosives and guns he stores in his pockets, a homunculus can only be harmed by a Busou Renkin. But the only way for something like that to inflict a death blow would be…_

Tokiko's gold-colored eyes widened in horror. She resumed her climb, now sprinting as fast as she could. Chitose was already announcing the match and declaring the rules; she _had _to warn Gouta!

The second the starting bell sounded, Gouta's kakugane was secure in his hand with no chance of his grip being broken.

"Busou Renkin!"

Less than two seconds after the command, two gold and blue blurs took flight across the room. They shot past Takeshi, zipped all the way to the other side of the room and curved in the air. They increased their rotation speed, heading straight for the Assistant Commander.

"Strike!" Gouta yelled. "My Busou Renkin of the Chakram- Motor Gear!"

"You've gotta be kidding," Takeshi chuckled. "You think you can nail an Assistant Commander with a simple direct strike from behind? I was told your tactics were better, kid! Oh well…"

Takeshi spun on his heel, turning to face the incoming missiles.

"First I'll knock these things outta the air, then I'll knock the crap outta _you_. Tough luck, greenhorn."

Takeshi moved to strike with his hands, swinging at the Motor Gears. However, just as they were nearly upon him, the chakrams changed course, arching up, high over Takeshi's head. He followed them with his eyes, curving his neck back to watch their path.

"What in the…?"

"As an Assistant Commander, you should know that, in battle, it's never smart to assume, or to underestimate," came Gouta's voice, now from only a few feet behind Takeshi. "Tough luck, green hair."

Takeshi turned in shock just in time to see the Motor Gears alight on the backs of Gouta's hands, still spinning at a fantastic rate.

"Motor Gear- Knuckle Duster Mode!"

Gouta's fist shot out and smashed into Takeshi's midsection. In addition to knocking the wind out of him, the rotating gear dug into Takeshi's gut and sliced a semi-circular gash into both his shirt and his skin. Gouta wound up for another strike when Takeshi stuck his hands into his pockets. Gouta stopped short as he was seized by the wrists. Glancing back, he saw the partially-gloved hands, each one protruding from some dark green, glowing hole that was hanging in midair. Even scarier, while he was bleeding horribly from the cut in his stomach, Takeshi was still giving Gouta a wicked looking smile.

"Wow. That really hurt. I sold you short, warrior rookie. I didn't even think I'd _need_ my Busou Renkin against you."

"Yeah?" Gouta snapped. "Think again! Fly, Motor Gear!"

The chakrams detached from Gouta's hands and zipped right towards Takeshi, catching him in the upper body and flitting away just as quickly, leaving an X-shaped cut across the Assistant Commander's chest. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on who you were rooting for, the cut wasn't as deep as the one on his stomach. Takeshi was so surprised, that he dropped Gouta and pulled his hands back before jumping away.

"Whoa…," Daihama marveled. "Gouta-san is really ringing his clock! He might just win!"

"Don't count on it."

Everyone turned to see Ikusabe, leaning against the back wall of the booth, leering down at the battlefield.

"What do you mean?" Rokumasu asked. "True, all Gouta has done so far is managed a couple of hits, but his moves have all been perfectly sequenced to counter anything his opponent throws at him. I'd say he stands a fair chance."

"Ha! Don't get me wrong, I think Warrior Nakamura is actually pretty solid… But, he's not yet a match for Takeshi. Don't forget, I trained that boy for seven years. During all that time, I've kept him under a strict training regiment."

"What kind of training?" asked Okakura.

"Physical training. Eight hours a day, every day since he first learned what his Busou Renkin was. Had to help him find a fighting style that would be useful, you get me?"

"Useful?" Mahiro inquired. "Useful how?"

"Think about it," said Ikusabe, smiling savagely. "How would a Busou Renkin like his be an effective tool against a homunculus?"

Before anyone could pause to consider this, Tokiko burst through the door, out of breath.

"Tokiko-san?" said Kazuki, looking concerned. "Are you alright? What's-?"

Tokiko glanced towards the microphone on the intercom and rushed to it.

"Gouta!"

No sound issued into the arena. Tokiko cursed as she glanced at the controls.

"How do you work this thing!?"

"Tokiko-san, what is it?"

"Kazuki, we have to warn him! If Gouta isn't careful, he'll get seriously hurt! Help me turn this thing on!"

Down on the battlefield, Takeshi nimbly dodged another pass by the chakrams, then jumped high and back to put a gap between himself and Gouta. While he was still airborne from the jump, the Motor Gears flew back and attached to Gouta's ankles, now propelling him forward like the world's fastest pair of roller blades.

"Motor Gear- Sky Walker Mode!"

_He's trying to distance himself in order to use his dimension tricks from a safe point, _Gouta thought, _so that must mean his close-combat is weak. I'll ride over before he can get his bearings and hit him again with the Knuckle Duster. It's over!_

Takeshi landed shakily on his feet, then glanced up to see Gouta nearly on top of him, raising a chakram-covered hand to cut him down. Just as the blow was about to land, the intercom from the observation booth clicked on with Tokiko's panicked voice.

"Gouta, no! Get out of there! Don't stay in close with him!"

"What?"

Before the spinning chakram could hit him, Takeshi allowed himself to fall, dropping onto his left palm, with his right side facing up towards Gouta; the chakram missed him by inches. An evil smirk crossed his squinty-eyed face.

"Cute _and_ observant; does that Tokiko-chan actually have any faults?"

Without warning, Takeshi's right leg lashed out, the heel of his boot catching Gouta in the stomach. However, instead of just knocking the wind out of him, the kick sent Gouta rocketing towards the ceiling. Before he could hit, a pair of hands reached out of the air and threw him back the way he came. Takeshi jumped again, and met Gouta in the air with another kick, this time spinning for momentum and striking with his shin. Gouta bent forward over the extended leg, coughed out a small fountain of blood, then flew back at twice the speed from the previous kick, getting smashed into the far wall of the Danger Room with a loud crash. When the dust settled, Gouta was embedded in the wall, a few trails of blood streaming from the corners of his mouth, his eyes whited out. The intercom crackled on with the voice of a radio announcer.

"And it looks like whatever's left of Nakamura Gouta has definitely been defeated! This could be it, folks!"

Everyone in the observation booth let out a surprised cry and turned to see who was at the microphone; Rokumasu, of course, doing one of his many mimicked voices. Tokiko tugged the mike away, looking exasperated.

"Stop that! Now's not the time! Gouta! If you can hear me, give it up! Kazuki can take care of it! We don't want you killing yourself over this!"

Gouta's eyes slowly flickered to life at that. Why…? Why did he _always_ have to leave it up to Kazuki!? As an Alchemist Warrior, as a love-rival…just how long was Mutou going to best him at _everything_!? Gouta glanced up at the observation booth, then clamped his teeth together in a snarl. Reaching one arm up, he slowly began to pull himself out of the wall.

"Give up? Not a chance," he growled. "I told you, Tokiko-senpai; this perverted creep insulted you, and I'm going to make him pay!"

Gouta succeeded in freeing himself and glanced around. His Motor Gears had fallen away when he got kicked. Where had they…? Ah. There they were, stuck in the ground just a meter away. As soon as he had them safe in hand, he could win. He just needed to touch them…

Without even making a sound, Takeshi charged him, a black and green blur of motion. Nearly upon Gouta, the Assistant Commander cocked his leg and fired it forward, aiming high.

"Gouta!" screamed Tokiko and Kazuki at the same moment. If that kick landed, Gouta's skull would be pulped! For a moment, Kazuki thought about jumping straight down to the field and putting a stop to the match, but he couldn't possibly move fast enough…!

An earthshaking crash resonated around the room as the kick landed. The two forms on the field were shrouded in rocky dust. Everyone in the observation booth strained their eyes, hoping to catch sight of some movement, or any sign of life. Tokiko couldn't believe Bravo hadn't even moved! He'd stopped her from killing that lecherous weasel, but he hadn't done anything at all to stop Takeshi from possibly removing Gouta's head!

"Gouta! Gouta, are you alright!?" Kazuki shouted. "Hey!"

Around that moment, the smoke slowly faded and the combatants could now be seen. Gouta's back was pressed to the wall. He was breathing heavily, but at least he _was_ breathing. His eyes were fixed on a point above his right shoulder which had Takeshi's right leg stretched out just above it. His boot was stuck into the wall up to his mid-calf. He was giving Gouta a rather self-satisfied smirk.

"You're not bad, kid. I think I'm going to like having you on my team. But, it'll work out a lot better if I don't have to kill you, so just accept your loss. Now, go pick up your weapon and deactivate it. You need to heal."

Above, the others were looking down with a mix of awe and fright. Rokumasu turned to Ikusabe, adjusting his glasses as he did.

"That training you were mentioning…it was all for lower-body strength, wasn't it?"

Ikusabe smiled again. "That's right. A Busou Renkin like that can only hurt homunculi by striking them. Therefore, it needs to have substantial force behind it to do any good. To that end, Takeshi trained and trained, developing the speed and strength of his legs exclusively, for years on end. After only five out of the seven years I trained him, he'd mastered a deadly kick, powerful enough to defeat homunculi. Right now, just two full-force kicks from him could demolish a three-story house. He must've held back a bit there; if he hadn't, his leg would've sliced Nakamura in two."

"What about the rest of his body?"

"Well, as I said, his training focused exclusively on his legs, so his arms and everything else are only about average for his age." Ikusabe's smile faded to a slightly embarrassed look, and he sweatdropped. "Actually, with all the _sake_ he puts away, he's probably weaker than most in those areas. I swear, that boy's liver is going to dissolve before he's thirty…"

Back on the battlefield, Takeshi was currently focusing on trying to free his foot from where it had crashed into the wall. Gouta was glaring at him.

"I still don't think you're good enough to lead any missions. You're just a liquor-soaked voyeur with a bit of fighting skill. And don't think I've forgotten what you did to Tokiko-senpai! If I have to train 'til I die, someday I'll have you on the ground, begging for mercy!"

The Assistant Commander glanced up with a smirk, his eyes once again opening just a crack. For some reason, that look sent an involuntary shiver of fear down Gouta's spine, a look like the grin of a wild dog, just before it tears your throat out. For a moment, he truly did seem to be a hunting fox, flashing his fangs at his cornered prey.

_Th-this…this is what Tokiko-senpai was talking about…he's not even close to Bravo's level…but just with one look, it feels like he's about to kill me! So it was no mistake when they selected him…he really __**is **__an Assistant Commander…_

"I look forward to it, Rookie-san. The day when you can defeat me, that is."

With a dark chuckle, Takeshi finally wrenched his foot out of the wall and turned his back to the beaten Gouta. However, his expression become serious and a bit worried as he did.

_That was close,_ he thought, clutching his stomach wound. _A few more shots and he'd have had me for sure. Warrior Negoro wasn't kidding; this kid knows how to use his Busou Renkin. I'll have to watch it around him. But for now…_

Takeshi turned his face up towards the observation booth, the strange, competitive grin he'd had before, when he'd spoken with Kazuki, now back on his face.

"Alright, Mutou-kun!" he shouted excitedly. "Now it's just you and me! Come on! Get down here! I've been itchin' to test my ability against you for a long time!"

Kazuki glanced over at Chitose, with a reluctant expression.

"Do I have to fight him?" he asked, pleadingly. "I don't have any objections to him leading our mission, and I don't really like fighting against my own comrades."

"I'm sorry, Warrior Kazuki. I don't much see the point of this either," Chitose murmured, "but for this to be fair, I am afraid you must."

Kazuki threw up his hands with a deep sigh and turned towards the door. Tokiko grabbed his shoulder and spun him to face her.

"I'm sorry about this, Kazuki," she whispered, guilt reflected in her eyes as she glanced to the side. "It's all my fault. If I had just kept quiet, you wouldn't have to fight, and we could already be hearing about our mission. Really, I apologize-"

Tokiko cut off as Kazuki pressed a finger to her lips and grinned in a carefree way.

"That's alright, Tokiko-san. It wouldn't be you if you hadn't spoken out. And really…he _has _been acting pretty rudely towards you, so…let's just say I'm fighting him for your honor." Kazuki's smile stretched wider as he winked his eye. "All part of having a girlfriend, right?"

Tokiko's face became hot as she felt a blush creeping across her cheeks. She glanced downward, suddenly very flustered. "K-Kazuki…"

He chuckled, then leaned towards her. "Maybe you should give me a kiss for good luck?"

Tokiko's entire face burned scarlet as she shoved Kazuki out the door. "Just go!"

She slammed the door behind him, then strode over to the window, resolutely keeping her still-red face turned away from everyone. Mahiro giggled.

"You and Onii-san are so cute together, Tokiko-neechan!"

"Please…just leave me alone…"

Mahiro shrugged and turned to her two friends.

"Tokiko-neechan is sure lucky, isn't she?" Mahiro whispered.

"What?" asked Saa-chan. "How do you mean, Mappi?"

"Well," Mahiro said, still whispering, "no matter what happens, Onii-san is always there to protect her. I know what my brother is like; if he had to, he'd die to protect her. Actually, he told me he already has. Several times."

"Yeah…," sighed Chii-chin. "Must be nice…to have someone like that to depend on."

"O-kay!" Mahiro shouted suddenly, making the other two jump. "That settles it! We're going to find boyfriends too!"

"Just like that?" Saa-chan asked, staring. "What makes you think it'll be easy?"

Mahiro grinned. "It's not really that hard! We just need to find someone who's strong, brave, and willing to protect his girlfriend, no matter what happens!"

"Mappi, Tokiko just got lucky. Things like that usually happen only in manga and storybooks," Chii-chin said, pushing her glasses up her nose as she spoke. "This is real life. It's not so simple in this world."

-- Don't tell 'em. They might crack. –The Cap'n --

Unknown to the girls, the others could actually hear most of what they were saying. Rokumasu didn't seem to care, but as his face was fixed in its usual calm mask, this may or may not have been the case. Okakura felt as if he'd been stabbed by the last words Chii-chin had spoken. If things like that didn't happen in real life, how would he ever hope to find a girl for himself!? Again, there was no justice in the world.

Daihama in particular, was sweating in a strangely nervous way. Mahiro's words were echoing through his head. Strong? Brave? And willing to protect…no matter what? He could do that…couldn't he? He really wasn't the confrontational type, that much was certain, but if he _really_ had to…if it was for someone like Mahiro, then maybe…

He let out a deep sigh. Thinking about it was one thing, but getting up the nerve to ask her would be something else entirely. Mahiro's cute smile and high spirits had left him smitten since her first day at Ginsei Academy. Of course the school uniform may have helped his decision a bit… But, even if Daihama didn't feel so nervous about asking her, the thought of going out with his best friend's sister scared him a bit. Kazuki trusted him, of course he knew that, but... The way Kazuki looked when his sister was threatened… Daihama shivered at the thought. He wanted no reason to make Kazuki turn that look on _him_, and with all the strange things that kept happening near the school, he wasn't sure if this was a gamble he wanted to take. Even so…

Argh! It was too frustrating to think about now. It was probably all the tension in the air. Yes, that had to be it! He'd just wait for Kazuki's fight to be over. Then, maybe, he could try working up the nerve to talk to Mahiro.

Down on the battlefield, Kazuki finally appeared. Takeshi grinned at him, eagerly flexing his fingers in anticipation.

"Finally! I've been wanting this for so long… A fight with Mutou Kazuki…the only one to ever defeat my Commander…_can you imagine my excitement!?_"

Takeshi's eyes shot wide open, fully exposing the crazed glee in his dark green orbs. Kazuki smiled.

"Y'know, I'd really rather not fight you…but I don't think it would be right for me to just ignore the way you've been acting with Tokiko-san. Is it okay with you if I do this strictly for her honor?"

Takeshi's eyes slowly shut again, but the insane smile did not fade.

"Whatever you want, Mutou-kun…just be sure to come at me with all you've got!"

"What's up with him?" Okakura asked, raising an eyebrow as he stared at Takeshi. "He's been totally relaxed up until now; why's Kazuki got him so worked up?"

Ikusabe scratched the top of his shaggy head with a grim smile. "He won't tell me why, but Takeshi has some bizarre fixation on Bravo. He first got assigned as his Assistant Commander last month, and since then, he's been redoubling his training, trying to reach Bravo's level of power. If I had to guess, I'd say he figures that if he beats Warrior Mutou down there, it'll mean he's gotten a step closer to Bravo. Such a bizarre kid he is; after he grew stronger than me, he just laid around and drank all day. Now he trains half the day and spends the other half drinking and sleeping. He's still my favorite trainee, but he's a weird one."

Chitose spoke into the microphone while Takeshi cracked his knuckles and Kazuki took up a fighting stance.

"This match will be fought with the same rules as the last two. Please start on the signal."

Two seconds passed. The buzzer sliced through the silence.

"Let's go!"

-- I am well and truly sorry to stop here, but this chapter is just too big if I leave in Kazuki's battle. That will have to wait 'til next time. Now! If anybody cares, the song Takeshi was listening to at the chapter's start was _Tonight, Tonight, Tonight_ by the Beat Crusaders. His Busou Renkin _does _have one very severe limit, but that, regrettably, isn't shown until he fights Kazuki. The author's notes that you see throughout the chapter are a habit of mine. If it annoys you, I'll try to stop, but I won't promise anything. The next update won't happen until I update my Titans fic; I've kept those poor readers waiting too long as it is! Next: "Don't Lose, Kazuki! Shine, Sunlight Heart!" - The Cap'n --


	3. Don't Lose Kazuki! Shine Sunlight Heart!

--Geez, you make plans, you make promises, and you still end up updating nearly two weeks after the intended date! Have I mentioned that I'm a big believer in Murphey's Law? Anyway, many, many thanks for all of your reviews and suggestions, and thank you even more for your patience; I am truly undeserving of such generosity. New school semester's started, so things are gonna be prettey sketchy where updates are concerned. In any event, enjoy the chapter for now, and keep your eyes peeled for a special cameo by one of my favorite (if underappreciated) characters from the series! - The Cap'n --

--Disclaimer- Hey, Watsuki-sensei! I'll play you in best-of-three Janken for the rights to Busou Renkin! --

Part 3- Don't Lose, Kazuki! Shine, Sunlight Heart!

"Begin!"

Before the starting bell was even finished ringing, Takeshi was already a step away from Kazuki and raising his leg up. Kazuki jumped aside, just as the heel of the boot crashed down, leaving a long series of cracks in the ground from the point of impact. Kazuki was then forced to duck as the other leg came around in a fast spin kick, again missing by only a few hairs. For several seconds, it continued like this, Kazuki moving like a piece of windblown paper, dodging the storm of kicks, getting pushed further and further towards the wall.

"Come on!" Takeshi jeered. "Fight me, Mutou-kun! You won't win just by dodging, you know!"

Kazuki said nothing, smiling slightly, continuing to evade. His friends were beginning to get concerned.

"What's Kazuki think he's doing!?" Okakura exclaimed. "He needs to pull out his weapon or he's gonna lose!"

"But…Kazuki can't lose! He never loses…does he?" asked Daihama, sounding quite nervous.

"Just shut up and watch."

The others turned to see Gouta, leaning against the wall next to Ikusabe. He looked like his wounds weren't bothering him much anymore; the kakugane had been working its power on him for the entire climb up the long staircase, after all.

"Watch for what?" Okakura asked. "You know what he's doing?"

Gouta nodded sharply. "I've seen Mutou fight. He's excellent at reading his opponent. He's studying the attack pattern, learning how the kicks flow. And as soon as the opportunity is right…"

Down below, Kazuki ran out of room to run at exactly that moment. He felt his back touch the wall, just a few feet away from the impression left by Gouta. Takeshi grinned and lashed out with another kick, aiming for the chest. Kazuki's eyes widened. Two seconds to impact, a brilliant flash came from his body, obscuring both he and the Assistant Commander from view. As the radiance was dimming down, there was a loud, metallic clang. When the light finally dimmed, there stood Kazuki, fending off the kick with a wide, silver blade about three feet in length; his Lance Busou Renkin, the Sunlight Heart Plus. One hand gripped the handle, while the other was pressed against the red and silver eye-shape in the middle of the blade. Takeshi's kick had been stopped cold, and Kazuki's arms weren't even shaking. However, instead of looking nervous or worried, the fox-like alchemist seemed elated.

"There it is, there it is! The only Busou Renkin to ever pierce my Commander's invincible Silver Skin! Not to mention the silent activation! As expected…"

Takeshi pushed off with his leg, to give himself some distance.

"…of the one I'd chosen as a worthy opponent! Alright, now that you've drawn your weapon, we can really get serious! Gya ha ha! Round two, Mutou-kun!"

Takeshi charged again, aiming an even faster kick. Kazuki smiled and spun his lance so the tip aimed at the ground.

"Extend!" he shouted "Sunlight Heart!"

The lance opened up, bathing the area with a bright glow of yellow light. As the energy inside the lance continued to build, the tip shot out into the ground, lifting Kazuki up. Angling himself carefully, Kazuki vaulted over Takeshi's kick and landed behind him, shrinking the lance back to normal.

"Smooth, very smooth! This is starting to get-!"

Takeshi was cut off in a rather painful manner. Upon landing, Kazuki had extended the blade out again, and swung it hard. The side of the energy lance slammed into Takeshi's midsection, lifting him off his feet, and carried him backwards in a wide arc before throwing him into the corner of the opposite wall, where he bounced off hard, and landed in the pond with a splash.

Those watching from above were momentarily stunned.

"K-Kazuki just batted him like a baseball!" Daihama choked out.

Gouta nodded with a knowledgeable look. "What'd I tell you? When you start getting cocky, that's when Mutou hammers you. I've seen it before."

"Maybe so…," Ikusabe grinned, "but that wasn't nearly enough to take Takeshi out of the fight."

Kazuki tensed up, gripping the handle of the Sunlight Heart tightly, waiting for his opponent's next move. Suddenly, in the air over his head, two glowing, green holes appeared. Tokiko pulled open the window of the observation booth and shouted down.

"Kazuki! Above you!"

Her boyfriend glanced up, spotted the holes, and pointed his lance at them, waiting to strike the first thing that came out. However, what issued forth from the holes were not hands, as Kazuki expected, but twin torrents of water, which splashed down on him, soaking him all over, and getting into his eyes. Blinded, Kazuki took one hand off of his lance and used it to wipe his face off. At that moment, the holes and the mini-waterfalls vanished. Kazuki, still trying to clear his eyes, didn't see the form emerging from the pond.

"Kazuki, he's out of the water! Watch out!" Tokiko called. On hearing that, Kazuki pointed his still-hazy vision towards the wall, spotting a muddy shadow. He swung his lance one-handed towards the shadow, extending it as it arched overhead, and brought it crashing down on the figure, putting a long, vertical slice in the wall at the same time. Once more a cloud of gritty rock dust rained down on that area, obscuring it from view. Kazuki waited for Takeshi to emerge, finally getting his eyes to clear as he watched the cloud dissipating.

_Did that do it? _he wondered. _Did I get him? Hope he's not hurt too badly…_

"What the-!? Kazuki! Up there! Look up!"

Startled by Tokiko's shout, it took a second for Kazuki to register what she had said. That was when he noticed the water. The water that was dripping on the ground just in front of the cloud. The water that was dripping down from…

Kazuki's jaw dropped so low, he almost kicked himself in the chin. There was the Assistant Commander, standing on the air itself, at least thirty feet up! He grinned down at Kazuki with his obnoxious squinty smile.

"Whooo! Close call there! You surprised me, Mutou-kun!"

Takeshi was soaking wet, with a lily pad hanging out of one of his pockets and a small snail perched on his head. (Oddly enough, the snail was smiling.) His eyes were more obscured than ever, with his sopping hair clinging to his forehead. Yet, there he was, standing with his hands in his pockets, and a casual expression, in the middle of the air.

"What!?"

"Heh… One of the Nine Kitsune Arts! Two Tails- Fox Flight! I told you, Mutou-kun, Commander Bravo is my hero! More than anything, I want to be just like him! So, I made up my own attacks, similar to his Bravo Techniques! With my Pocket Dimension's abilities, I can imitate the powers of the Kitsune spirits in all their glory!"

"How…?" Kazuki started to ask. Then he saw it. Partially-gloved hands, gripping Takeshi underneath the arms. He was holding himself up with his own hands!

"Gya ha ha ha! You catch on quick, Mutou-kun. I can tell by your expression. That's right; by using my hands to hold my body up, I am, in effect, keeping my hands held up with the rest of my body. With a loop like this, only possible through Pocket Dimension's portals, I can cheat the law of gravity!" Takeshi grinned at him. "You get it? Unless I pull my hands back, I won't fall. So go ahead! Extend that lance out again! Then you'll be nice and open for my counter-attack!"

Kazuki stood still, apparently frozen by the Assistant Commander's clever use of his Busou Renkin's power.

A minute passed in silence.

Then another.

Finally, after about five minutes, Kazuki spoke, revealing the true cause of his shock.

"Aren't your arms getting tired, supporting your whole body like that?"

Takeshi glared down at him as his shoulders shook violently with the effort of holding his own weight for so long and beads of sweat replaced the water drips from his body.

"Will…you….just…."

Takeshi released his hold, pulling his hands out of his pockets and angling his fall towards Kazuki with a flying kick.

"…hurry up and attack me already!?"

The still-smiling snail fell off his head, landing back in the pond. Kazuki held his ground, waiting until the kick was almost on top of him, then held his lance up once more, blocking Takeshi's incoming foot. Kazuki felt the ground beneath his feet shift downwards as the force of the kick pressed a small crater into the earth, but he did not fall, or waver in the slightest. Takeshi recoiled with a midair backflip, landed heavily on his feet, then rushed in again. This time, as the rapid-fire kicks came, Kazuki responded with his own attacks, parrying the blows and trying to deliver his own. For several minutes this went on, both exchanging blows at an almost impossible speed, matching each other so well that neither really seemed to be able to land a hit.

"Come on, Takeshi! I didn't train you to take it easy on your opponent, sparring match or not! Kick, kick, kick, kick!"

Ikusabe had joined Tokiko at the window and was roaring down his support to his favorite student. If the others had any problems with his choice of who to root for, they were keeping quiet about it. Their silence may or may not have had to do with the fact that, in his rush of excitement over the battle, Ikusabe had activated his Cross Spear Busou Renkin, and was now waving Gekisen all over the place while he cheered.

The only one who was matching his level of noise-making was, surprisingly, Tokiko, screaming down advice to Kazuki at every three second interval.

"Kazuki! To your left, dodge it, quick!"

"There, block now!"

"He's open! Knock him off balance and take him out! Come on, Kazuki, crush him!"

Gouta approached her from behind, looking apprehensive. "Um…Tokiko-senpai, he's supposed to win on his own…I'm pretty sure shouting advice like that counts as helping…Maybe you should take a few deep breaths and rela-"

Tokiko spun around, her gold eyes gleaming with an eerie red light.

"_**I'm completely relaxed! I just want Kazuki to win, okay!?**_"

Gouta backed off quickly, almost sweating completely through his shirt. Back against the wall, he whispered to Rokumasu.

"You think Tokiko-senpai is holding a grudge?"

"If she's sane, she is. But, who can really say?"

"Hmm…," Gouta mumbled, glancing back at the ongoing battle, "can't say that I don't want Mutou to win, though…at least it'll shut that idiot up."

The idiot in question was still slugging it out with Kazuki, dodging jabs and swipes from the lance as he continued to aim his powerful kicks. The weird thing was, both he and Kazuki only seemed to have the slightest idea that they were fighting; both had on near-identical smiles, and were actually striking up friendly banter as they exchanged lightning-quick blows.

"Gya ha ha! Such speed! Such power!" Takeshi cheered. "This is exactly what I was looking for! Mutou Kazuki— you're good!"

"Heh heh…Believe it or not, I'm a master at one-on-one combat! But (whoop, close one!) you're not bad yourself!"

"Well, y'see (hey, watch it! I'm using that leg!) I used to train with Warrior Ikusabe all the time. This is kind of like fighting his Gekisen."

"Guess that means he expects you to win?" Kazuki smiled. "Boy, he sure is loud…"

Takeshi snickered as he dodged another swing by bending back. "Yeah…but the same could be said for Tokiko-chan, I think. What a spitfire! How did you ever manage to tie her down?"

"Well…that's kind of a long story. But she's not always like that. She has a very sweet side, too."

"Uh-huh," Takeshi snorted, "right. I'm so sure- Huh? Oh, hey! Mutou, you were right! Look, she's blowing you a kiss!"

"What?"

The second Kazuki turned to look at Tokiko, who was, of course, doing nothing of the kind, an evil smirk jumped to Takeshi's face, then his foot shot past Kazuki's shoulder and hooked around his neck. Caught off guard, Kazuki was unable to dodge in time, and was yanked forward, getting planted face-first in the grassy battlefield.

"Gya ha ha ha!" Takeshi laughed triumphantly. "First rule of combat, Mutou-kun; don't get suckered into lowering your guard, even for a second! I tell you, you may be tough, but you sure are easy to bait!"

Kazuki climbed to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood and dirt, and feeling a cut in his bottom lip.

"You…sneaky…"

"Now, don't get mad, Mutou-kun," Takeshi chuckled, feigning innocence. "It's perfectly within legitimate combat strategy to create openings. I should know; I've been fighting for years longer than you have. It's only natural that I would have the skill necessary to catch you off gua-"

Takeshi's boasting was cut off as a silver-yellow blur whipped past in face in an upward direction. A second later, his headband split apart and a vertical cut opened on his forehead. His hair dropped down over his eyes, no longer supported.

"Sorry about that," Kazuki said with a grin, "but I figured since you just explained it to me, you must know; you shouldn't lower your guard, even for a second."

Takeshi felt the cut on his head and his grin came back in a flash. He dipped into his cargo pocket and produced another black headband.

"Good one, Mutou, very good," he said, tying the new headband in place. "Okay, that's enough of a breather, I think. Ready to get going again?"

Kazuki raised the Sunlight Heart with a determined smile. "Anytime."

The two charged each other for the second time. Kazuki pulled his lance back for a thrust while Takeshi cocked his leg. Both released their attacks at the same time, the tip of the lance crashing into the sole of the combat boot. A blast of wind blew back into the faces of both combatants, created by the sheer force behind the attacks. Takeshi dropped down and spun his body, aiming a sweep at Kazuki's feet. Kazuki jumped it, then pointed the lance again. Takeshi smirked and, just as the Sunlight Heart was extending, he shoved his right hand through the Pocket Dimension and grabbed the back of the lance's handle. By pushing it to one side, the tip shot past him and sank into the ground.

"Gotcha…"

With the Sunlight Heart momentarily trapped, Takeshi shot his foot out again. This time, his strike hit home; the tip of his boot sank into Kazuki's midsection and sent the teenaged Warrior flying. Kazuki coughed hard from the force of the kick, struggling to breathe even as he flew backwards. He was sure it must have felt exactly like taking a cannon shot at point-blank. Noting the incoming wall, he yanked his lance back, waited for the right moment, then gave a shout.

"Energy…release!"

The Sunlight Heart expanded outward in a brilliant display, the burst of energy stopping Kazuki's collision course, and allowing him to drop safely to the ground.

"Not bad! Now take this!"

Takeshi began to pump his arms in a piston-style motion, rapidly jamming them in and out of his pockets. Kazuki looked up to find the air in front of him swarming with green portals, all of which had fists coming out of them.

"One of the Nine Kitsune Techniques! Five Tails- Fox Illusion Barrage!"

Kazuki made to block one fist, but got a shock as it faded away on contact. Blocking a second attack, he got an identical result. Thinking that all of the fists might be fake, Kazuki took two steps forward…and fell back as he got hammered all over his body! It didn't hurt him too badly; Bravo's punches had been lethal. Compared to that, these weren't much. Enough to sting, though.

"Ow! What in the world-!? How's he doing that!?"

"Gya ha ha! Now, let's kick it up a bit!"

The fists began appearing more and more rapidly while the holes filling the air began to move forward, forcing Kazuki to back up. Kazuki continued to block, this time not allowing any attacks through, as he tried to read the technique.

_Some are hitting me, some are fakes…what is this!? Wait a minute…_

Kazuki glanced back at his opponent, who was still laughing and rapidly moving his arms.

_Of course!_ Kazuki thought, realization setting in. _No matter how fast he's moving, he still has only two hands. That's why it's an illusion…most of the attacks are pulled back before they can hit, and all I see is the after-image. But even knowing that…how do I counter it?_

As Kazuki pondered over his predicament, he continued to leap backwards. This probably would have worked as an effective stalling strategy if it weren't for the fact that the wall behind him had been fairly close already and the gap was closing rapidly. In no time, Kazuki had his back pressed against solid stone, and was now faced with the incoming fists. However, right as the hands had almost reached him, Takeshi's expression suddenly shifted, as if he'd just remembered something important.

"Whoa! Hold it! Stop!"

The Assistant Commander hastily pulled his hands back, stopping his barrage. Confused, but not one to miss an opportunity, Kazuki shot the lance forward, forcing Takeshi to jump back. The fox-faced warrior grinned at Kazuki as he landed, the stuck his hands through the Pocket Dimension again. They appeared a good distance in front of Kazuki, the left one beckoning with the "come here" finger motion.

"Step closer, Mutou-kun," Takeshi called, trying his best to sound casual. "Don't hide over there. Come on."

Kazuki frowned for a moment, then a lightbulb flashed over his head. "You can't reach me from there, can you? Your Pocket Dimension has to stay within a certain distance!"

Takeshi flinched; he'd been found out. Considering for a moment, he finally put on a bizarre type of smile before pulling his hands back.

"Correct, Mutou-kun. I am indeed limited to how far I can reach. Fifteen meters from my body in any direction, to be exact. Would you like to see why?"

As Kazuki watched, Takeshi held both hands up and slowly peeled away his gloves, letting them drop to the ground. He then pointed both palms outward. Kazuki gasped at the sight; both of Takeshi's palms were covered from end to end in near-identical, and very oddly-shaped scars. They were both dark red, and seemed to extend back into his hands in a semi-circular pattern, as if the flesh of his palms had simply been scooped out.

"Wha-? What in the…?" Kazuki babbled, trying to find a question that didn't sound tactless. Finally, he settled on, "How did that happen?"

"This is from the only time I ever tried to exceed the limit. Just one inch past Pocket Dimension's set distance…and this was the result. When I pulled my hands out, some of my skin couldn't manage the transition smoothly, and it was ripped away. Caught, forever, trapped between the dimensions."

Even those listening from above cringed at this, Gouta and Tokiko included. They might even have considered feeling a tiny bit sorry were it not for Kazuki's next question.

"So, is it because that's a special type of wound that the kakugane couldn't repair it?"

Takeshi averted his gaze and placed one hand behind his head, seeming embarrassed. "Um….actually…at the time, it never occurred to me to use the kakugane. Maybe it might've worked…but it's a bit late to find out, I guess."

Everyone watching the battle collapsed, floored by the sheer disbelief at Takeshi's confessed incompetence.

"Do you _really_ trust an idiot like this leading our team!?" Tokiko shouted, almost desperately.

Chitose sighed. "He was the only one available for this job. Really, I apologize."

"Don't worry about it," Gouta interjected. "If Kazuki wins, we're rid of him anyway."

Kazuki climbed to his feet, recovering from the shock of Takeshi's past blunder, and did his best to look determined again. "Well, that's why we practice with our Busou Renkin, after all. Once you know its capabilities, and its limits, you can adjust your training to best suit yourself."

"Exactly," Takeshi said, that obnoxious smile of his back in place, "and it is thanks to my training that I won't lose to you here. So what if you know the range of my portals? It won't help you. I can dodge you're lance from this distance, no matter how quickly you try to shoot it at me. And as long as I've got my Fox Barrage, you can't move from that spot! Admit defeat, Mutou-kun!"

"No," Kazuki answered, shaking his head, "I can't do that. I'm fighting for Tokiko's sake. If it's for that reason…I can't lose to anyone."

Kazuki took a few steps forward, raising the lance.

"And your attack isn't going to work anymore. I already know how to beat it."

"That so?" Takeshi snickered. "Alright. Let's see this technique of yours, Mutou! Five Tails- Fox Illusion Barrage!!"

Kazuki waited as the attack began again, the apparent multitude of fists filling his entire range of vision. He took up a stance and raised the Sunlight Heart, stretching it out in front of his body and pointing the tip upwards.

"Energy….release!"

With the second call out of this order, the Sunlight Heart opened up entirely, the golden light streaming from every crack in its edges. Taking the lance in hand by the middle of its handle, Kazuki began to turn the weapon over and over in his hands, spinning it in front of his body like a monumental pinwheel. Holding the lance thus, he rushed forward and straight into the rain of fists. Takeshi's attack lasted for all of ten strikes before he pulled his hands back with a pained yelp.

"Owwww! My hands…!"

Trying to hit the energy-enhanced lance had proved too great a task for his hands; every part of the exposed flesh had turned a deeper red than his scarred palms and was throbbing horrendously. He blew hard over his hands as he rubbed them together, trying to sooth the pain, when he noticed the light from Kazuki's direction dim down.

"What's up Mutou-kun? Why'd you stop?"

"That worked pretty well for fending off your technique," Kazuki explained, "but it blocks my sight off, too. Not really that practical. But, I doubt you'll be trying the same move again anytime soon; now I can end this!"

"Heh…okay. What've you got left? Come on, show me!"

Kazuki gripped the Sunlight Heart tightly, then pointed it towards Takeshi and charged.

"What? Oh, come now, Mutou-kun…" Takeshi placed a hand on his heart as if he'd been wounded. "Don't underestimate me like that. Not after seeing what I can do for this whole match. You don't really think a head-on attack will do you any good?"

Kazuki didn't answer. He simply poured more power into his legs and sprinted faster.

Takeshi shrugged with a "what-can-I-do" kind of expression and drew back one leg. "Fine, then. I'll just dodge it and send you flying again. Maybe then, you'll learn."

Kazuki was almost upon him. Takeshi prepared to kick as hard as he could. Just then Kazuki's eyes lit up as he shouted another command.

"Sunlight Flasher!"

The lance opened only a small amount, but the energy that came out was tremendous. It filled the room with a golden flash, so bright that even those watching from above had to shield their eyes. For Takeshi's eyes, being in such close proximity, it was downright painful! He brought his arms up, trying to shield himself, and completely abandoned his kicking stance. Before he could realize his mistake, the flash died down and he was hit hard from the side. This time, it was his turn to go airborne, speeding across almost the entire length of the Danger Room before crashing into a tree. The thick trunk actually cracked halfway through from the force of the impact. Takeshi's eyes shot open briefly as he coughed out a spatter of blood, then slid down to the ground.

"You alright, Assistant Commander? I don't plan on losing, not with Tokiko's honor on the line. But I don't want to get you seriously hurt either!"

Takeshi got to his feet, stumbling slightly, and wiping a trickle of blood away from his mouth. The cuts he'd received from Gouta had also re-opened. Despite this, he was still smiling defiantly.

"Don't know what you mean, Mutou-kun…I didn't feel a thing!" he declared.

Up above, the onlookers were holding their breath.

"Think this is it?" Daihama questioned.

"Looks like it," Rokumasu said. "You can never be sure in these situations, but I'd say Kazuki's got him beat."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Ikusabe said, turning away from the window, looking more savage than ever. "You think Takeshi's done? Just look at that…"

Everyone peered down onto the battlefield. From what they could see, nothing had changed at all. However, when they tried to tell this to Ikusabe, he simply laughed.

"Look again; look at his eyes."

Once again, everyone did look and this time they saw it. Takeshi's eyes were open again, burning with determination equal to Kazuki's.

"The last time I saw that look on his face, he was fighting against me for the last time. That was when we decided he was the stronger one." Ikusabe's grin stretched wider. "Takeshi wants this fight over. And he wants to be the one to end it."

Kazuki swung the Sunlight Heart up, pointing it at Takeshi. "I'm prepared to let you give up without harming you further. Just surrender, and apologize to Tokiko, and then, if you want, you can-!

"Not a chance!" Takeshi yelled, looking more unbalanced then ever with his eyes opened wide and his smile stretched across his whole face. "Do you know what this match means to me? I've fought with Commander Bravo myself, Mutou-kun! Just last week, he finally allowed me a match with him! And I was beaten…"

Takeshi's eyes seemed to glow as he shouted out his next words.

"Commander Bravo crushed me in just two minutes! And he never even used his Alternate Type!"

Kazuki raised his eyebrows. Bravo had clearly been training, too. But then, Kazuki reasoned, it did make sense. After all, a Busou Renkin like Takeshi's, which required the assistance of his own body to do any kind of damage, would find it all but impossible to break through even _one_ of the Silver Skin.

"And _that_," Takeshi continued, still grinning madly, "is why I'm going to win here, Mutou-kun! You are the only one who has breached the mighty Silver Skin; the only one to _ever _defeat my Commander. If I take you down now…it will be a giant step towards my goal of finally surpassing him!!"

With that, Takeshi charged straight for Kazuki. Knowing that he had to keep him out of kicking range, Kazuki extended the Sunlight Heart and swung it high, hoping to catch the side of Takeshi's head with the tip and knock him out. Just as the lance was about to hit, Takeshi pulled a surprise maneuver by dropping to the ground and sliding forward on his back. While this did scratch his back up a bit, it also put him out of the lance's reach and directly beneath Kazuki.

"One of the Nine Kitsune Arts!"

Takeshi's right leg shot up like a missile, catching Kazuki right in the stomach. Takeshi followed immediately with a rain of kicks, almost too fast to see each individual one, pummeling Kazuki with his feet.

"Six Tails- Fox Rampage! And now… up you go!"

Takeshi's final kick sent Kazuki airborne yet again. Kazuki's mind went hazy and his eyes unfocused as the pain finally caught up after the initial shock. He was dimly aware of a warmth rising in his throat and the taste of iron filling his mouth.

Grinning like a demon, Takeshi jumped with both hands in his pockets. Before he could fall, both of his hands appeared in the air, catching himself under the arms and tossing his body up higher. He repeated the maneuver several times, each time pulling his hands back just as he threw, then extending them out to catch his body at just the right moment. In no time, he had caught up to Kazuki's altitude.

"It's over, Mutou-kun! Have a nice flight!"

Takeshi's leg extended up, high over his own head, preparing to swing down on Kazuki. Mahiro and her friends covered their eyes, preparing for the worst. Okakura, Daihama, and Gouta all clenched their hands, waiting for the blow to fall. Tokiko's eyes widened in horrified disbelief.

"_Kazuki!!!"_

At that instant, Kazuki's eyes snapped back into focus. Spotting the incoming attack, he held his lance out, catching the strike at a strange angle. As the force from the kick traveled down the lance, Kazuki held tight to the handle and was actually spun through the air and placed directly behind the Assistant Commander.

"What did you say was over?"

Takeshi's eyes bugged as he glanced over his shoulder. "Clever, Mutou-kun! You're just full of surprises, aren't you? But this has gone on way too long! You can be the one to apologize to Tokiko-chan…because I'm taking you out now, by any means necessary!"

Takeshi dipped his left hand into his pocket, leaving only his right to hold the back of his shirt. Traveling through the Pocket Dimension portal, the left appeared from a hole hovering over Takeshi's back, right in front of Kazuki aiming for his throat.

This, Takeshi knew, would finish it. He'd squeeze the breath out of Mutou with one hand, and keep the other to hold his body up. It wouldn't be easy, but when it was over, Bravo would definitely consent to a re-match!

Those were his last thoughts before Kazuki reached up quickly and grabbed his hand.

"What!? Hey…leggo!"

Kazuki smiled. "Thought so…I figured it out while watching your Barrage attack; your portals can't move once they're set up! If they could, you wouldn't bother pulling your hands out at all. You have to create a new dimension hole by pulling your hand back and then pushing through the dimensions again. So, as long as I've got you held, you can't move or banish your portal…not without cutting your hand off!"

Takeshi was sweating hard. Just how fast was this kid able to read him!?

"Since I don't think either of us wants to see that, you should surrender right now."

No…No, no, no! This was not happening! He hadn't joined the Alchemic Regiment and clawed his way nearly to Commander rank just to get beaten down now by a former-Victor junior grade!

"You think so?" Takeshi growled, any trace of his smile now gone. "I'll show you! All of you!"

Takeshi released his grip on the back of his shirt with his right hand. Thanks to Kazuki holding his tight grip on the left, Takeshi did not fall. His right hand appeared behind Kazuki and gave a hard shove before pulling back. Kazuki gave a gasp of surprise as he was pushed forward and, at the same instant, Takeshi jerked his lower body hard, catching Kazuki with a solid kick in the chest. The lance wielder gagged as he bent forward, coughing out a small red geyser. He was not sent flying owing to his grip on Takeshi's hand, but after a moment, his grip loosened, just enough for Takeshi to pull free. With the portal no longer holding them airborne the two started to fall…and it was a long way down.

Takeshi wasn't waiting for that. Free to move at last, he spun in the air, about to aim another kick. Sensing the movement, Kazuki raised the lance and started to thrust forward. Takeshi would have none of it, however; as the metal tip came towards him, he swung his feet up and caught it in a pincer motion between his feet.

"Hah! The game ends here, Mutou Kazuki!" Takeshi declared gleefully, his smile back in full, vibrant display. "You can't hope to push through my leg strength…but just in case, what say I send you crashing down now?"

Takeshi was about to swing his legs up and throw the lance down. As it was also his heart, there was no chance that Kazuki would release his grip on it. Takeshi could feel the thrill rising in his chest; he'd won!

Or so he thought, up until he saw Kazuki smiling through his pain.

"What are you grinning at?" Takeshi inquired. "You've lost, kid! Your body won't take being thrown from this high, not this late in the game!"

Kazuki kept smiling. That was when Takeshi caught on. He felt the thrill of moments ago drowning as if in ice water. The Sunlight Heart began to open up, the golden light beaming through the forming openings.

"Awwwwww, spit….."

Kazuki narrowed his eyes and held tight to the handle of the lance. "Sunlight…Slasher!!!"

The lance opened and the tip, still held tight between Takeshi's feet, shot downward in a golden flash, like a comet falling from the sky. Takeshi had about two seconds to watch his world become a blur of light and color before he was driven into the soil, back first. He gritted his teeth against the pain, wincing as blood squirted through the gaps in his teeth and over his lips. The lance stayed on him until Kazuki finally touched down on his feet and called his Busou Renkin back. Breathing heavily, Kazuki stepped forward, approaching the cloud of dust that obscured the Assistant Commander.

_Stay down,_ Kazuki prayed, silently. _Even if I could, I don't want to keep up this pointless fight… Just stay down…_

For a second or two, all seemed quiet. Then, with no warning, not even a sound to announce his approach, Takeshi darted forward out of the cloud of dirt, blood dribbling down his chin, brandishing the hunting knife that he'd been keeping in his cargo pockets. Kazuki reacted immediately, holding up his lance, then…it all stopped. The two of them stood frozen, Takeshi's knife an inch from Kazuki's throat, and the Sunlight Heart pointing at his own midsection. Both were panting heavily and dripping with sweat.

"J-Just…give up…Assistant Commander…it's already over…" Kazuki winced as he spoke. It _really_ hurt to talk. That last kick had felt like it had cracked a couple ribs. "I can extend my Sunlight Heart…any moment now…and pin you to the wall."

"Think…so…do you? H-hah!" Takeshi laughed, smiling with his mouth tinted red. His eyes were squinted shut again, and his arm was shaking, as if holding up the knife was taking all he had. "Wrong again, Mutou-kun! The second…that toy of yours starts to open…I can cut you and be done with it! Wanna test me…?"

Over to the side, Bravo frowned as he watched the stalemate. This was going too far. He'd better stop things before they killed each other._ Why_ did his lieutenant have to be so stubborn? Of course, Kazuki wasn't much better…just give him the _suggestion_ that what he was doing was for Tokiko, and the boy probably would've tried scaling Mount Fuji by hand. Oh well, they could call it a draw…it had been a good match. Bravo.

However, as Bravo stepped forward to stop the match, two things happened that halted him in his tracks. First, with a small flash, Takeshi's Pocket Dimension disappeared, clattering to the ground as a kakugane, marked with the serial number LXIX. (69) Without his Busou Renkin, he was revealed to be wearing a pair of dark green cargo shorts. However, despite this, Takeshi was still up, still holding his blade just shy of Kazuki's artery.

_He deactivated his Busou Renkin? _Bravo wondered. _Or…?_

Two seconds after, Kazuki's Sunlight Heart vanished, disappearing into his chest, then the young alchemist fell back, collapsing to the ground in a dead faint.

"Kazuki!"

"Mutou!"

"Onii-san!"

The three shouts came from above at the same time. Tokiko was leaning against the microphone console with a blank, dead look in her eyes.

"He lost… I don't…believe it…"

Ikusabe started laughing. "Ha ha ha! What'd you expect? No student of mine could get put down so easy! Not anytime soon! Although…Warrior Mutoh put up a really impressive fight…I'd still like to have that battle with him, even if he's not a Victor!"

"Hm?" Rokumasu adjusted his glasses as he glanced down at the battlefield. "Hey, someone should tell Takeshi that he's won, because I don't think he's figured it out yet."

Everyone stopped talking and glanced over at the Assistant Commander. Indeed, he was not moving a muscle, still in the exact same pose that he'd been in for the past minute, holding up the knife in a menacing manner. Chitose turned on the microphone with a frown.

"Sakimori, what's happening down there? Why hasn't the Assistant Commander moved?"

Bravo was already walking over, his expression unperceivable beneath his Silver Skin. Within a few strides, he was right next to his adjutant, leaning in close to inspect him, talking quietly. After a second, he glanced up at the observers, sounding a bit embarrassed as he spoke.

"He's out cold."

For the second time, everyone, even Ikusabe fell over.

"He can't even have the good sense to fall down when he's fainted!?" Gouta shouted, completely exasperated. However, it was actually Mahiro who had the first notion of what this truly meant.

"Wait a second! If his weapon disappeared first…" Mahiro reasoned, "and he's been unconscious all this time…then that means…"

Daihama glanced up, smiling joyfully. "That means, Kazuki fell second! Kazuki won!"

Much cheering followed this statement, while Ikusabe looked completely put out, and Tokiko smiled the very smallest of smiles. Chitose announced it, declaring Kazuki the winner of the match, probably a bit more happily then she should have. As he slept quietly down on the field, Kazuki seemed to be smiling a little himself.

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Of course, thirty minutes later, when Kazuki was actually woken up, they received quite an unexpected shock.

"Whaddaya _mean_, you still want him to lead us!?"

Kazuki's three friends were doing their best to hold back an absolutely livid Gouta as he struggled to get closer to Kazuki. The dark-haired lance wielder looked blankly at Gouta, seeming confused by the question.

"Why not? He's a great fighter, and he really knows how to be prepared. I think he'd make a great leader for our mission. Besides, my victory didn't count in the deal; I was only fighting for Tokiko."

"You…Mutou…you are such a…arrrrgh!"

Gouta threw up his hands and turned away, unable to put his frustration into words. Tokiko seemed annoyed as well, but she had lost all will to say anything upon Kazuki's reminder that he'd suffered a beating for her sake.

"Come on, Gouta, look on the bright side," Kazuki said, cheerfully. "At least, with his Busou Renkin, he can carry all our equipment! We won't have to carry our tents or anything!"

Gouta stayed turned away, grumbling to the wall. Ikusabe approached Kazuki with a brutish smile on his lips.

"That was incredible, Mutou," he stated. "I haven't seen more than three other people fight Takeshi so well. What would you say to a match with me sometime?"

Kazuki sweatdropped with a nervous grin. "Uh…I'll think about it, after the mission's over."

"Good enough! I'll hold you to that!"

Kazuki chuckled a bit as he put his hand behind his head. Bravo spoke next.

"Well done, all of you. Bravo! Now that that's settled, we must hurry. Commander-General Shousei does not smile on tardiness. Now, I think I'd better wake Assistant Commander Kakusu…"

While Bravo went to awaken the foxlike man, Tokiko stole a sideways glance at Kazuki. "You're really interesting, Kazuki. You won this match. You could've asked for anyone else to be our leader, or even lead the mission yourself. But you chose to let this Ero-Gitsune have what he wanted instead." Tokiko sighed and shook her head. "Still trying to be everyone's hero, never thinking about what you want…you'll never change will you?"

Kazuki grinned. "Probably not, Tokiko-san. But…since you bring it up, there _is_ one thing I want that I'm still waiting for."

"Hm?"

And as Tokiko turned to ask for clarification, Kazuki pulled her in and kissed her full on the mouth. They held the contact for about twenty seconds before Kazuki pulled back slowly, smiling even wider than before.

"There we go. I never did get that kiss before the match. Thanks, Tokiko-san."

Kazuki walked over towards the doors with the others. Tokiko hung back, a red glow spread across her cheeks, her fingertips at her mouth, as if holding the kiss in place. A tiny part of her mind told her that she should probably hit him for earning her some laughter from the boys and much blushing and squealing from Mahiro and her friends…but then, she thought, as she walked over to join the rest of them, a slight smile on her face, he _had _fought for her after all…there was no need to deny him his prize.

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THE NEW STRAIN BUSOU RENKIN FILE # 1

Pocket Dimension – The Greatest Tool of the Sneakiest Thief!

Kakugane Serial Number: LXIX (69)

Creator: Kakusu Takeshi

Form: Combat Fatigues

Main Colors: Dark Green and Black

Special Abilities: Cargo pockets create an alternate space that has infinite storage room. Only items that fit through the opening of the pocket can be stored.

Hip pockets allow the wielder to send his hands through the other dimension and reinsert them to interact with this dimension. Maximum safe reach of this ability is fifteen meters in any direction.

Special Traits: The pants themselves are made of metal fiber, making blade attacks completely ineffective.

The portals created by the hip pockets cannot move once created. The wielder must banish a portal before creating another with the same pocket. Anything left sticking through the portal opening would be instantly severed.

Since this weapon cannot damage homunculi in any way other than striking directly, its usefulness is dependant on the wielder's leg strength.

Because of its design, this weapon can make little to no use of a Double Busou Renkin.

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-- Alright! Finally did it! Now, as Bravo said, with that taken care of, we can finally get down to business. With the next chapter, we learn about not only the upcoming mission, but a couple more things about the Ero-Gitsune, er, I mean, Assistant Commander. His own love interest is revealed (not just another of his stupid conquests, he actually likes this girl.) as well as his greatest fear. I decided to add the same type of information files that Watsuki-sensei used in the original manga as a way of answering any possible questions. I'll do the same with my OCs later in the story, if there are no objections. Yes, the serial number of Takeshi's Busou Renkin is a joke, but if you don't get it right away, I'm afraid you're not old enough for this author to risk explaining it. To those who do get it, I pray you have a sense of humor; remember, it's only a joke. Oh! And before I forget, I chacked with my Japanese instructor, and YES, it is supposed to be Gitsune, people, so please stop yelling at me. Next time: Mission Specs. The reason for the story title will be revealed at last! - The Cap'n --


	4. Mission Specs

-- Many apologies for keeping everyone waiting. I won't go into details on why I've taken so long, but I will say this; never, **NEVER** try to sail through a typhoon on a dare from a rival captain. Anyway, some things I have discovered during my overlong and unintended holiday from updates; Kazuki is not 16, he's 17, an error of mine in the first chapter, "Takeshi" was the Japanese name of Brock from the _Pokemon_ children's show, (another womanizer with fox eyes; I swear I had no idea of this when the story began) and lastly, there are some very good Busou Renkin videos on youtube. If someone can tell me how the forums on this site work, I can possibly give links to my two favorites. Now, I have looked over the stats on this story, and got a shock at the number of hits-- It's over ONE-THOUSAAAAAAAND!! ...Sorry. But, in all seriousness, I thank every one of my veiwers. Reviews are not something I depend on in order to continue, nor do I demand a certain amount of them before agreeing to update, but a writer does love to know that his work is appreciated. You people are wonderful. Anyway, onward, I say!- The Cap'n --

-Disclaimer- -- This is the disclaimer that I wrote. These are the words that state I do not own any part or parcel of Busou Renkin that are written in the disclaimer that wrote. These are the angry fans who are going to throttle me because of the irritating number of words that I use to get across the point that I do not own Busou Renkin that are written in the disclaimer that I wrote.

Part 4- Mission Specs

"Did not."

"Did so."

"Did not."

"Did so!"

"No, you are mistaken, my friend."

"Just admit it! You lost!"

"I'll do no such thing. The fight was a draw."

Gouta and Takeshi were side by side as the group progressed down the hallway, and had been arguing for the past minute over the outcome of Kazuki's match. Takeshi's gloves and the hunting knife were in the pockets of his cargo shorts, as was his kakugane.

"Look, you passed out before Mutou did! _And_ he woke up first! That means you lost!" Gouta insisted.

"Yeah, but I also stayed standing the whole time. That means it was a draw."

"How does _that_ make it a draw!?"

"Because it's in accordance with my own logic," Takeshi said, with the air of someone explaining that two and two was four. "In other words; because I said so."

"And why does that make it a valid argument!?" Gouta fumed.

"Quite simple; I outrank you, Rookie-san. That's why." Takeshi turned his head away, completely ignoring Gouta's open-mouthed expression of outrage, apparently deciding that this had settled the matter. Then, as an afterthought…

"Busou Renkin."

Takeshi's kakugane opened up, then changed into tiny metal filaments that encircled his legs at an amazing speed, criss-crossed and connected hundreds of times, and finally settled into the shape of his Pocket Dimension. Reaching into the left cargo pocket, the Assistant Commander rummaged around for a bit before finally pulling out the corked gourd and _sake_ dish. He poured himself a quick drink and gulped it down, letting out a satisfied sigh after swallowing. He took a second dish-full, re-corked the gourd, and shoved it back into his pocket. Gouta held his nose and fanned his hand in Takeshi's direction.

"Ugh! How can you drink that!?" Gouta gagged, the scent of the _sake_ stinging his nostrils. "That smells terrible!"

Takeshi shrugged in a dismissive way. "It's cheap stuff. I can't just drink my best liquor at every chance. It's far too expensive; best used for celebrating and such. Besides, this cheap brand serves its purpose."

"Its purpose?"

"That's classified for now," Takeshi smiled, in what he seemed to think was a mysterious way. "Perhaps I'll show you later when the time is right, Rookie-san. I have a lot that I could teach you."

"I don't need _any_ kind of lesson from you!"

Takeshi shrugged again, then reached back into his pockets. "As long as I'm at it…"

From the right pocket, he pulled a black, sleeveless shirt bearing a white Alchemic Regiment crest on the front; completely identical to the torn and bloodstained one he was currently wearing. Slipping the tattered one off, he paused for a moment and flexed his arms.

"Hey! You three schoolgirls! Like what you see?"

He proceeded through several ridiculous poses, puffing out his chest, imitating the growls of wild beasts, and generally making a fool of himself. Mahiro, Chii-chin, and Saa-chan just stood and gaped, unsure if they were supposed to applaud or not. However, they needn't have worried about deciding. At that moment, as Takeshi turned his body to begin showing off his back, his squinted eyes were each met with a sharp pain. This sort of thing was common when someone jabbed their fingers into your eyes.

"Quit it, Ero-Gitsune. And put your shirt on."

Takeshi dropped to his knees, rubbing his face frantically with both hands. "Gah! My eyes! What if they've been scratched!? They'll never look the same!"

"Don't be dramatic," Tokiko said, with a cold scowl. "I didn't poke that hard. Your eyes almost never open anyway!"

Takeshi rubbed his eyes once more, then climbed to his feet, a mischievous glint in his squinted eyes.

"Very smooth attack, Tokiko-chan! I never sensed it for a minute! Truly, you are a seasoned Warrior! Here…" he chuckled, a wicked grin forming on his face, "let me give you my congratulations!"

So saying, he leapt at Tokiko with his arms spread wide as if to embrace her. Tokiko watched his mid-air approach with a look that could have pierced the Silver Skin. The others all watched with a feeling of foreboding, then winced as one at the loud crunch that filled the air.

"Mmmph…well done…" Takeshi mumbled through the bottom of Tokiko's shoe. "another very smooth attack…that kick felt like my own, Tsumurin!"

Tokiko had brought up her foot and stomped hard on his face, planting him on his posterior in the middle of the floor. She twisted her leg, grinding the shoe in a bit deeper before stepping back.

"Don't you ever _stop_!?" she asked heatedly, still glaring daggers at Takeshi as he tried to straighten his somewhat-flatter nose. "Where do you get your energy!?"

"Where do you think? From lovely young ladies like yourself, of course! Is the fox not a playful and frisky fellow!?"

He started to get up, but paused at the sight of Captain Bravo looming over him.

"That will be enough, Assistant Commander Kakusu. I _did_ warn you, remember, about further antagonizing Warrior Tokiko. Now come along, we're already late, and Commander-General Shousei does not like to wait. "

"Heh…understood Commander, understood."

Takeshi got to his feet and pulled the new shirt on. Irritating Tokiko was all good fun, but he didn't much care for his chances of holding off both her and Bravo at the same time.

Daihama was close to the back of the group, only vaguely aware of where everyone else was going, lost in his own thoughts. Was now a good time? He'd been waiting for a chance to speak with Mahiro since Kazuki's match had ended, but in all the excitement over his friend's victory, that chance had been waiting for quite a while. Her brother's victory had definitely put her in high spirits; perhaps now was the best time after all. Well…on the one hand, if she said yes, then everyone would know about it right away, and they could get the giggles and embarrassing congratulations over with quickly. On the other hand, she might turn him down…how would he live down a rejection in front of all of his friends…?

Daihama groaned and clutched his head. Such a difficult choice! At his age, he shouldn't have to face such a thing! If the gods were any sort of decent, they'd send him an easier way to do this!

And just like that, Mahiro turned to him, seeming concerned.

"Masashi-san, are you alright? Do you have a headache?"

Thank you, Seven Lords of Luck.

Now…what was he supposed to say? Well, answering the question seemed the best way to start.

"Uh…no, no…I'm fine, Mahiro-san, I'm just, uh…looking forward to seeing what Kazuki and Tokiko's mission is. Once they know, they'll be leaving, so…they're gonna need our support!"

Mahiro considered this, then broke into smiles. "Yeah! You're always trying to find ways to help, Masashi-san; my brother is so lucky to have a great guy like you for a friend!"

"Uh…no…I'm just…um…y-you really think so…?"

Daihama stared at the ground as his face burned like a stoplight, Mahiro's words echoing through his mind.

…_a great guy like you…great guy like you…like you…_

This was _it_. The set-up was perfect! Go for it! Come on, Daihama Masashi, show some backbone and _ask_!

"Um…H-Hey! Mahiro-san!"

"Hm? Yes? What is it?" Mahiro turned her head to one side and smiled. Cutely. Daihama invented a few new shades of red before continuing with a gulp.

"Uh…well…I was just thinking maybe…after we get back to the school…would you…maybe… like to- ouch!"

Daihama gave a shocked cry of pain as he fell forward. He had just been belted upside the head by what appeared to be a flying pink blur. Whatever it was, it was hard; that had _hurt_!

"Kazukiiiiiiiii!!"

Oh. That's what it was.

Kazuki jumped, startled for a moment as a pink, metallic object, resembling a turnip attached to a winged baby, latched onto the front of his shirt, letting out another joyful squeal before looking up at Kazuki's face with it's gigantic, lamp-like eyes.

"Kazuki! You're back! It's been so long! You haven't forgotten me, have you!?" the metal cherub demanded. "If you forgot me, I'll cry!"

"Gozen-sama!" Kazuki smiled. "Nice to see you, too!"

Angel Gozen beamed. "You _did_ remember! I'm so happy!"

Daihama climbed to his feet, gingerly rubbing the back of his head. Far be it from him to begrudge the hyperactive Busou Renkin doll. It was always excited to see Kazuki. Not surprising, as it's continued existence, as well as that of it's creator was thanks to Kazuki's heroic efforts. Ouch… Even so, that was definitely going to leave a lump. Not to mention the timing of it all…

"Masashi-san, are you all right?" Mahiro inquired, raising a concerned eyebrow.

"Y-Yes…" Daihama mumbled, not meeting her eyes. "It's just a little bump…"

Mahiro smiled, satisfied with this, and ran over to greet the pink imp herself. Daihama sighed heavily, no longer feeling much like talking. Being knocked to your knees by something resembling a festival prize didn't do much for self-confidence. There would be another time…he hoped.

Meanwhile, Tokiko was busy getting annoyed with Gozen. The loudmouthed automaton had chosen to say hello to her at that point. The problem was, it was doing so by hovering directly in front of her face, blocking her field of vision as she tried to move forward.

"Yes, fine, I'm happy to see you too! Now, _move it_!" she growled. "I've had enough of dealing with pests today!"

Gozen snickered as it drifted up to perch on Tokiko's head. "I see you haven't changed at all, Tsumurin. Still as violent as ever, eh?"

"Get off!"

Tokiko swatted at the doll, and it zipped away to avoid her hand. She exhaled hard, exasperated with the fact that everyone seemed to be making it their personal mission to bother her today. And something Gozen had said was gnawing at the back of her mind…like a question she'd had was answered, but she couldn't recall what it was she had wanted to know in the first place.

And that just made the whole thing more frustrating!

Gozen hung back, watching in silent confusion as Tokiko pinched her temples, like she was warding off a headache. Just then, a partially-gloved hand shot out from midair, seized the mechanical cupid, and chucked it backwards into the other waiting hand of Takeshi.

"Gozen! Long time, no see! What has it been, a week?"

"Oooh! Takeshi's here, too!" Gozen cheered. "Lucky day! So many of my friends, all together in one place! Hey, hey, Takeshi, did you bring-!?"

Chuckling slightly, Takeshi slid a hand back into his cargo pocket and pulled out a package of _senbei_, tossing them up to a joyful Angel Gozen.

"Dig in."

"Yum! Thanks!" Gozen tore into the bag of crackers and started munching.

"What next?" Tokiko questioned, dryly. "You got a tea set stored in there, too?"

"Gya ha ha! No, but I could try it, if you want, Tsumurin!" Takeshi chortled. He glanced up at Gozen, placing a hand beside his mouth as if nobody else could hear. "I think that's her way of saying she's impressed."

Just then, as Tokiko noted Takeshi's further use of her unwanted nickname, it finally occurred to her what she had been trying to remember. If Takeshi was friends with Gozen, that had to mean-! Of course. No wonder he knew the name, and the fact that it annoyed her. Given who Gozen shared a consciousness with, it shouldn't have been that surprising.

"So Takeshi, I hear they're letting you command your next mission!" Gozen commented, with its mouth full. It swallowed, popped another _senbei_ into its mouth, and continued while chewing noisily. "Your first time getting to lead! You must be excited!"

"Well, the promotion means new responsibilities, and leading missions is one of them! With any kind of luck, I should be able to use this as a base for…"

He trailed off, his face showing a look of dawning comprehension, like he'd just remembered something of great importance.

"Wait a second…if Gozen is here…" he reasoned, speaking slowly, "that has to mean-!"

Takeshi tore into his cargo pockets, producing and utilizing all manner of things, including a bottle of cologne, a hairbrush, dental floss, and even a pair of eyebrow tweezers before hastily tucking in his shirt and shoving the whole collection back into the pockets.

Two seconds later, Hayasaka Ouka turned the corner and joined them.

"Hello there, Mutou-kun, Tsumura-san. Oh! And everyone else, too. This _is_ becoming quite the social event."

"Hello, Ouka-senpai. You going on a mission, too?"

"Yes. Shusui-kun and I are teaming with Warrior Akane and being led by Assistant Commander Busujima."

"Warrior Akane?" Tokiko hadn't met that person before.

"I know him," Gouta answered. "Older guy, about thirty-something. Red hair. His Busou Renkin is the Signal Flare. When someone looks right at the flame, they're forced to mimic Akane's movements; he calls it Will 'o' the Wisp."

"Ah! So that's it…" Ouka exclaimed. "Warrior Akane's power can be amplified by our commanding officer's ability to manipulate gases. And with Shusui-kun for the in-fighting and myself for distance…they've covered all the possibilities! How nice!"

"Full of insight as ever- that's what I like about you, Ouka-chan!"

Ouka turned her dark-eyed gaze behind her and found Takeshi only inches away. Despite this disregard for personal barriers, she offered another welcoming smile, albeit after taking a couple steps away.

"Well. We meet again, Assistant Commander Kakusu. I hope you are well?"

"Huh...?" Takeshi was looking right at her, but seemed slightly distracted by something, like he hadn't been listening properly. "Oh, yeah, uh…I'm good, but…I've asked you before now to just call me Takeshi! You don't have to bother with that "Assistant Commander" stuff, Ouka-chan! It's too formal for a guy like me!"

_Never, _thought Tokiko,_ has a truer statement been made._

Ouka smiled even brighter. "Now, now, the niceties must be observed, Assistant Commander. One must never be so casual with a superior officer, especially one of my standing. Unlike Shusui-kun, I am only a reserve Warrior."

"All the more reason my rank shouldn't apply; unless the situation calls for it, you're not technically one of the Alchemic Regiment!"

"Even so," Ouka said, raising a hand to stop any further argument, "it is best that I acknowledge my superiors with the proper respect. It's just good protocol, Assistant Commander. Now, if you will all please excuse me, I must hurry to the debriefing room. The others are probably hearing about our mission already. See you all later! Gozen, we're leaving now."

Angel Gozen popped the last rice cracker into it's mouth before flitting after Ouka. "Bye, Kazuki!"

Everyone watched as Ouka left before Kazuki turned to Takeshi, having noticed the somewhat distracted expression that was still on his face.

"You alright, Assistant Commander?"

"Hm? Yeah, I'm great. And that goes for you too, Mutou; call me Takeshi. Formalities be damned."

"Alright, Takeshi, then. What's up? You started acting strange once Ouka-senpai showed up."

"Oh, that? I like her."

"Big surprise there," Gouta muttered. "You like anything female with two legs." _Actually, given how you've been acting up till now, the "two legs" thing is just an assumption…_

"No, not like that, Rookie-san. I mean…I really do like her. Yeah, I'm a womanizer, I know that, and I don't see any reason to be otherwise. Being around multiple women makes me happy and there's no sense in denying yourself what you want. But…if there was one person I'd be willing to give it all up for, and stick to the path of monogamy…Ouka-chan is definitely it."

"Why her?"

"Well…she's smart. Smarter than most, and that interests me. That talent she has for appearing more innocent than she is and getting others to do what she wants...I just love the way her scheming mind works! I've never met such a brilliant woman in my life!"

_Terrific,_ Tokiko thought._ That's all this world needs, a fox dating a manipulative vixen._

"That, and her Angel Gozen totally cracks me up! Gya ha ha!" Takeshi chuckled a bit at a few memories of the pink cherub before his face lost some of its laughter. "And…one other reason…"

"Which is what?"

"Which is classified."

"What!? Oh, come on!" Gouta exclaimed, thoroughly annoyed. "You can't just keep saying that! You made all that build-up to it, so just tell us what your stupid reason is!"

"I just told you, it's classified."

"And I just told _you-!_"

Takeshi glanced over at Gouta and his squinted eyes opened up about halfway in a mild glare. Gouta froze, once again gripped by a sudden, inexplicable sense of dread. It was strange…he wasn't afraid, not really…but his body seemed to be trying to tell him otherwise.

"Classified."

"Y-Yeah…fine," Gouta conceded. "I didn't really want to know, anyway."

"You've already told Ouka-senpai, right?" Kazuki asked, grinning. "It seems like she already knew you pretty well."

"Actually…while we have talked a lot in the past month, I have yet to tell her what I really think of her. In the past, it's been nothing but pleasant conversation; people we know, where we're from, that sort of thing. Other than trying to get her to use my name on an informal level…I haven't pushed the issue at all."

Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "How come?"

"Well, it's complicated…see, in order to get a date with Ouka-chan, I have one major glaring problem that I'd have to get around. The thing is-"

Right at that second, Takeshi's mouth snapped shut as his background darkened and a static bolt coursed across the back of his head. Beads of sweat began to form on his brow.

_Th-This feeling…this presence in the air… Only one person could create such an aura…!_

"Takeshi, are you okay? You look like you're about to be sick…"

"Hide me!"

"Wha-? "Hide"? From what?"

"Out of the way! If he sees me, he'll kill me!"

The suddenly hysterical foxy-eyed man shoved past Kazuki and Gouta, slipped over to Ikusabe, and stood beside him, walking in perfect synch with the giant battle maniac like a second shadow. The only thing spoiling the illusion was the fact that Takeshi was trembling incessantly and covered in cold sweat.

"Hm? Oh…hello Mutou. They called you guys in, too? This must be serious."

Kazuki turned, and found himself looking into a pair of dark eyes identical to Ouka's. The boy they belonged to was tall, good-looking, and garbed in a white kendo robe. A long, thin package, wrapped in white, was carried over his shoulder.

"Hayasaka-senpai!"

"Ouka-neesan and I got here about ten minutes ago. The Commander-General wants to brief our team on the mission first."

"Same here," Gouta replied. "'Course, we're already late…"

"Really? Well, good luck to you then. The Commander-General's a stickler for punctuality. It doesn't sound like he's in a good mood as it is."

"Why's that?"

"Not sure…but…" Shusui reached into a pocket of the robe, digging around. "It seems this is a matter of great importance."

Shusui held up the item he'd been seeking for a moment so it could be clearly seen; kakugane serial number XXIII. (23)

He slid it back into his pocket, frowning slightly. "Wasn't your meeting supposed to be twenty minutes before ours? Why are you guys so late?"

"I'm afraid it's my-" Tokiko began.

"Because our commanding officer is a moron!" Gouta cut in heatedly.

"Wha-? Bravo!?"

"Of course not!"

"Oh… Then, your commanding officer is…?"

"We've been assigned to Assistant Commander Kakusu," Tokiko answered, sounding very much like she was withholding a few dozen insults from her statement.

Interestingly enough, Shusui's eyes momentarily widened in recognition before immediately narrowing into a difficult-to-read, yet slightly frightening expression.

"Kakusu Takeshi, huh?" Shusui's eyes drifted over to the humanoid shape concealed in Ikusabe's shadow, his gaze alone causing said shape to twitch as if it had been stabbed. "I see…"

"You know Takeshi, Hayasaka-senpai?" Kazuki asked, mildly surprised.

"We…have met before, yes. Well, I hope you'll excuse me. I've got to catch up with Ouka-neesan. Good luck to you."

Shusui started to move off, then paused and leaned over close to Tokiko's ear, cupping his hand beside his mouth.

"Don't hold back," he whispered, and swiftly left the group behind.

Tokiko stared after the young swordsman as he walked ahead, eventually moving out of sight. What had he meant by that?

Kazuki slipped over to Takeshi and tapped his shoulder. "He's gone. You can come out."

Exhaling hard, Takeshi stepped out of his impromptu hiding place and shoved a hand into his cargo pocket, producing a camouflage-pattern handkerchief. He mopped his face off, stored the cloth away, then took a deep breath.

"Okay!" he said, quite suddenly, with a loud clap of his hands. "Let's get to that meeting, then, shall we?"

"Just a second!" Gouta yelled. "Explain what that was about! And I swear if you say "classified" just once more, I'll call him back here!"

Takeshi fluttered his hands as if they'd been burned. "Whoa, whoa, hold on! No need for rash action! ……Alright. You remember me saying that there's one major problem barring my path to Ouka-chan?"

The others nodded. Takeshi jerked a thumb in the direction Shusui had been going. "Well, that's him. Hayasaka Shusui; he hates me."

"So what? So do half the members of the Alchemic Regiment!" Tokiko pointed out.

"Those people I can deal with. But this guy…Hayasaka-san scares the life out of me."

"Well, why?"

"The way I became Assistant Commander…I had to compete against all the other valid candidates for the position in a small fighting tournament. Kind of like our little sparring matches back there. There was me, Chitose-chan, a handful of others…" he said, ticking them off on his fingers. "…and Hayasaka-san. The way it was set up, we had all been declared to have the proper qualities for becoming Commander Bravo's lieutenant, be it because of battle skill, tactics abilities, or just recommendations. We were all issued our kakugane at the time to ensure we'd give it our all. The final match had me up against Hayasaka-san. The winner was to become Assistant Commander under Commander Bravo."

"Wow…But, if you've beaten Hayasaka-senpai before-" Kazuki started.

"Who said I beat him? He destroyed me! Before I could even think of moving, he'd cut me ten times and had his sword at my throat! ….It scared me so badly, I gave up without even _trying_ to fight back…"

Kazuki recoiled in shock. Hayasaka-senpai…had done that…? His swordsmanship just kept improving!

"But then…why are-?"

"Because he didn't want the job. Hayasaka-san said that rank didn't matter to him…he had just wanted to test his ability. So, as the next-best qualified, the position was given to me."

Gouta frowned. "That doesn't add up; Kazuki beat you nine ways to Sunday and you still wanted to fight! Why should Warrior Shusui be different?

"Well, maybe I would've tried harder if I hadn't had the same experience some time before that…I think the memory of it was subconsciously affecting my ability."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I'd had his sword at my throat before. Not the Busou Renkin blade, of course, but it was enough…"

Tokiko's eyes flashed with realization; _now_ Shusui's words made sense. She turned her head to glare at the Assistant Commander over her shoulder. "Hayasaka doesn't draw his sword on just anyone. What'd you do to Ouka, Ero-Gitsune?"

Takeshi glanced up, only a little bit surprised. "You catch on this fast to everything, or just when it concerns me?"

"Answer the question."

"Alright, alright…Well, I first met Ouka-chan about a month and a half ago. She was here checking up on one thing or another, I don't really remember…at any rate, I was walking back to my quarters after a training session, we passed one another in the hallway, and said a friendly hello." Takeshi paused as a lecherous smirk split his face. "Then, as she was leaving, I just wanted to…well, to give her an even friendlier greeting, you might say. I trust that you remember the type that I mean, Tokiko-chan?"

"Just hurry up with your explanation," Tokiko growled "and pray that by the end of it I've forgotten all about killing you."

"Heh…as it went, however, my hand never made contact. I was about halfway to my goal when I felt his sword on my skin. He'd snuck up behind me, you see. Quite stealthily, too; even Ouka-chan never noticed his presence." Takeshi shivered for a moment before resuming his story. "After his sister was out of earshot, Hayasaka-san promised that if he ever saw me anywhere near her again, he'd send my head rolling. Normally, I'd laugh a threat like that off, but somehow…somehow Hayasaka-san is different. I can _feel_ the killing intent behind his words. That's why, now, whenever that man so much as looks at me, the feeling of that blade on my throat returns."

Tokiko turned her head away with a disgusted noise. "You deserve it. Someone like you has no business being allowed near _any _woman."

"Now that's hurtful, Tokiko-chan…"

Kazuki raised an eyebrow as a question jumped to mind. "So, how did you get to know Ouka-senpai so well, then?"

"Well…" Takeshi paused, searching for the words. "Looking back, I'm actually privately grateful to Hayasaka-san. Knowing that Ouka-chan was his sister, I couldn't risk doing anything that might send her running to find him. Thanks to that, I've had to resort to just making conversation. I've been able to get to know her really well in just this short time… After I talked with her a few times, I sort of…forgot about my original plans and just met with her for the sake of talking. She's a great conversationalist, you know."

Rokumasu raised a thoughtful eyebrow. "Well then…if your intentions are good, what's stopping you now?"

Takeshi frowned. "Come again?"

"What I mean is, why not explain yourself to Shusui-senpai? If you can show him that you mean Ouka-senpai no harm, I don't see why he wouldn't allow you two to go out every once in a while, at the least."

Takeshi shook his head, scowling. "No chance of that. You know what they say about first impressions. If I even tried to suggest that, my neck would be severed before the third word got out."

"You think so?"

"I know it. It doesn't matter if they're younger or older; give the brother reason to hate you and you've got almost no chance with the sister."

For a reason known only to himself, Daihama flinched at those words.

--

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of walking, the procession stood before the great steel doors of the War Room. Captain Bravo pressed one gloved hand to the hexagon-shaped insignia in the middle of the left door. The symbol glowed briefly, and the door slid open. Shusui and Ouka were revealed just behind it, along with the newly-promoted Assistant Commander Busujima Hanaka and a stocky, muscular man with graying red hair, whom Kazuki and Tokiko took to be Warrior Akane. Busujima's Aerial Operator, her Busou Renkin of the Gas Mask, was already firmly in place, hiding her features completely behind the tangle of piping and glass. Normally, Takeshi would have given both her and Ouka a very enthusiastic greeting. However his attention was more firmly caught by the look of suppressed bloodlust that was aimed at him by Shusui.

"Hello, Busujima-san!" Kazuki greeted with a bow. "Nice to see you again!"

"Ah…y-yes, of course…the feeling is mutual, Warrior M-Mutou…!" Busujima bowed back, her soft, quivering tones distorted greatly by the mask. "Um…but I do wish it could be under less dire circumstances…"

"Hm? How's that?"

"Um…well…you see-"

"You'll hear about it soon enough," answered the red-haired man. "For now, you should just get in there. The Commander-General is on the warpath over some late arrivals. I'm guessing that's you."

The group flinched, remembering all too well how Commander-General Shousei liked to vent his frustrations.

"Right," Gouta mumbled, "we'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the tip-off, Warrior Akane."

The older man nodded to the group before heading off down the hallway, followed closely by Busujima, then Ouka and Shusui. Takeshi stepped aside immediately to allow the kendo champ past him, sweating bullets while trying to appear composed. Shusui fixed him once again in a death-glare before finally turning with a curt "Good luck." to follow his sister.

The inside of the room was just as Tokiko remembered it; very open and with a spectacular view of the surrounding sea through the enormous window. Standing over by one of the many computer screens was the man they had come to see; Sakaguchi Shousei, the Commander General of the Alchemic Regiment's Asian Branch, Master of the mighty Buster Baron, and a very intimidating figure besides. He was just as remembered too; tall, wrapped in a dark cloak, his Alchemic Regiment glasses glaring out from beneath the wide brim of his black hat. Noting their presence, Commander-General Shousei turned towards them, a surprisingly calm look on his face.

"Which of you," he began, still eerily relaxed, "is the one who is responsible for such a long delay in our meeting?"

"Um…Well, Commander-General, I suppose it'd be me, since it was my choice to accept the challenge, but I had to let these kids know I'd be a capable leader, so it seemed like a-"

Takeshi got no further, as a white-gloved hand zipped forward and pulled him in. What followed was about two straight minutes of an endless stream of loud crunches and smacks, punctuated by the occasional pained yelp and all set to Shousei's personally-crafted soundtrack of loud, hysterical laughter. Afterwards, Shousei turned away from the Assistant Commander, (or the bleeding hodgepodge of anatomy that was once called that) and lightly dusted his hands off as he faced the others, who were now all looking slightly ill for some reason.

"Somehow, I expected it was your fault," Shousei said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Don't think that your promotion means you can keep the Commander-General waiting while you fool around, Assistant Commander Kakusu."

The bloody mass on the floor gurgled something that might have been assent.

"Alright then. Just so long as you understand. Now…" Shousei turned his eyes back towards Kazuki and the others, who shivered, then…"let's show you what you will be dealing with. Follow me."

The three teens breathed sighs of mutual relief as they started forward, Ikusabe and Bravo following behind, along with Kazuki's friends, Mahiro, and her friends. Except Rokumasu, they were all still slightly aghast at the severe thrashing they had just witnessed. Chii-chin glanced back at Takeshi's carcass with frightened tears in her eyes, wondering if he was still breathing.

Shousei led them over towards the far end of the room, speaking as he walked.

"Now, as you know, all operations involving our Warriors were suspended, and the kakugane re-called for the sake of furthering more important studies. Which of you can tell me what they were?"

Gouta spoke up. "You've been researching methods to transform the homunculi back into humans, Commander-General."

"Exactly. And it was for the sake of this research that we required…subjects to study."

The three Warriors blinked, puzzled. Subjects? Study? What could that possibly-?

Tokiko's eyes became very round indeed. "Commander-General, you can't mean that-!?"

"Indeed", Shousei responded, not batting an eye as he glanced back at her. "We needed to make homunculus cores in order to study them. We began almost immediately after your return to Earth, Warrior Mutou, using DNA samples from a random collection of Alchemic Regiment personnel to create seven such cores."

Shousei paused for a moment—he had led them to a thick, metal door and was hurriedly punching in a code on the numbered panel beside it. The door sent out a wave of blue light that momentarily swept over Shousei's body before declaring his access approved. The door cranked open to reveal a long hallway that was lined on both sides with thick, glass chambers.

"After careful study was done on the cores," Shousei continued, stepping through the threshold and beckoning the others to follow, "to be sure that the original research that created them hadn't missed anything, we moved on to the next step."

"Which was…?"

"Alchemy is a tricky science; precious few things can have an effect on a creation that has been forged through such a process. In order to attempt a breakthrough, we needed to attempt the risk of one of those few; radiotherapy. Rather, we exposed to cores to waves of radiation, in hopes of garnering a useful mutation. Results were...not satisfying."

The Commander-General paused before a one of the chambers. Inside the enormous glass box was…the interior of the box. The clear, thick-walled cell was completely empty, save for a large puddle of water in the center. If not for the glare cast by the overhanging light, even _that_ wouldn't have been visible. Kazuki glanced up, about to question this, but was cut off by Shousei's resumed explanations.

"The cores were all exposed to equal amounts of gamma radiation, and soon after began to show an increase in active movement. We weren't sure what that meant, but it was a difference from all previously documented cases of core production, and a difference is what we had been aiming for."

Shousei turned around to look the three Warriors in the eyes. "Two days following that, the cores broke out of their containments. They didn't infect anyone, but headed straight for the exits. They managed to make it to the surface…and we lost track of them after that."

Takeshi pushed his way to the front of the group. "Hold on a second, Commander-General! Homunculus cores can't survive outside of containment for more than a day! There's no way they could get from here to the shores in time to infect anyone, not with their speed!"

"Weren't you dead just a minute ago?" Gouta asked, with a bewildered look at the suddenly-healed fox-man.

"That is exactly what we assumed, Assistant Commander," Shousei said, responding to Takeshi's observation, "but we've come across some evidence to the contrary. First of all, keep in mind that these particular cores are _mutated_; there's no telling what other types of differences they might have from the usual breed. Furthermore, it was just weeks ago that we began to find reports of people missing from nearby prefectures. When we sent in the usual reconnaissance teams…they recovered this."

He gestured to the glass room, only further serving to confuse everyone. Noting their expressions, Shousei turned to the gigantic form of Ikusabe.

"Warrior Ikusabe, your strength should be enough for this. If you would, enter the chamber and be sure to have your Busou Renkin at the ready."

"If you say so, Commander-General."

Ikusabe stepped around to the side of the chamber, and waited as Shousei undid the remote locks sealing the door. After the final lock clicked, Ikusabe entered the chamber, activating his Gekisen between steps.

For a moment, he just stood there, waiting for whatever the Shousei was expecting to happen.

"Commander-General, what's this about? Is this some kind of new- What in-!? Hey!"

Ikusabe sidestepped and brought up his cross spear into a guarding pose. Moments ago, the space where he had been standing had shattered as a long, aqua-green clawed hand crashed down on the spot. The bizarre part was that the arm it was attached to seemed to have been produced by the puddle of water on the floor! Seconds after, the rest of the small pool welled up and, as the others looked on in horrified surprise, formed into a five-foot high humanoid creature. The thing had long arms, the five-clawed hands hanging down well past the knees, an equal number of claws protruding from long, fin-like feet, a wide, slavering mouth filled with teeth jagged enough to give a dentist terminal nightmares and eyes that were blank and dead-looking in it's tiny, diamond-shaped head.

The whole body had a very damp look to it; indeed, it seemed to actually be _made _of gently flowing water. Ikusabe, however, had no time to get a close look. The creature had begun snarling loudly and flailing it's long arms like whips. The brute-like Warrior smirked as he dodged the blows, getting in close with the monster.

"Sloppy," he told it. "You need to train harder."

So saying, he swung his spear out, catching the shoulder with the head of Gekisen and lopping off the whole arm.

"While you're at it, learn to pick your battles. You should be able to tell just by- wha-!?"

Ikusabe turned in confusion at sudden movement. He'd expected the thing to back off at the loss of it's arm but, instead, it had kept attacking and was now lunging at him, mouth open! Didn't…these things feel pain?

Before Ikusabe could react to the attack, the moist monster's mouth closed around his left wrist and bit the entire hand clean off. The dismembered hand was still visible inside the creature's form, a murky outline, floating down to rest in the stomach.

"Hey!"

The giant Warrior took a step back, pulling back Gekisen for a thrust.

"Not bad. You got me. But…"

Ikusabe held up the oozing stump of his arm, grinning monstrously as electricity seemed to crackle around it. After half a moment, a skeletal hand had sprouted from the stump. Half a moment more and muscle tissue and blood vessels criss-crossed and snaked over the bones. Finally, within the next instant, skin and fingernails slid on like an organic glove, making it as if the grisly wound had never been.

"You can't get me with such a simple attack!"

Ikusabe shot his spear forward with the force of a bullet. The thing, still trying to continue it's mindless attack, caught the cross-shaped tip right in it's open mouth, the pointed tip piercing through it's head. Ikusabe kept the momentum going as he stepped forward and planted a kick in the creature's damp torso, stomped it to the ground, then gave Gekisen a hard twist. The creature's body jerked, then it fell limp.

After a moment, it's body began to bubble and froth, looking very much like a human-shaped pot of boiling water. After a few seconds, the entire form puffed violently into steam and vanished. Ikusabe's bloodied hand lay on the floor as the only trace that the thing had ever existed.

"Oh…sorry, Commander-General, I got carried away. I think I just killed your research subject."

Shousei shook his head. "Much as I hate to say it, Warrior Ikusabe, we have more where that came from. We've discovered about ten more of those. They remain inert until some form of human presence shows up. Then, they attack until they have consumed whatever entered their territory, or are killed."

Shousei opened the door to let Ikusabe out before continuing. "In addition to those eleven, we have found approximately twenty-three of those things over there…"

Shousei pointed to another cell. This one had a creature of basically the same build, save for the hands and feet being shorter and thicker, and the fact that it looked to be built from crumbling dirt. It was sitting in it's cage, just staring out at the Warriors.

"And lastly…we have, thankfully, only seen one of that."

The last cell was at the far end and was mostly covered up by black metal, making the interior impossible to see. There was a tiny square of window in the door, which was filled with a flickering light. Walking over and taking it in turns to look, the creature everyone saw had arms and legs that simply ended in pointed cones, and it's black skin was entirely covered in roaring flame. It was racing all over the cell, seemingly without limit in it's energy, hammering it's body against the walls and making the most horrible growls they had ever heard.

"That one never stops, even for a second. Commander Hiwatari is the only one who can even get near it; it's thanks to him that we caught it in the first place."

Tokiko turned from her look at the blazing beast with a serious look in her eye. "Commander-General, what are these things? How do they relate to the escaped cores?"

"We're not entirely certain that they do. However, our studies on them have revealed four definite facts: first, they have similar molecular makeup to that of a homunculus, but they are not true homunculi. Second, except for the fire breed, they make no moves to attack anything that isn't human. Third, whatever they consume is not digested, but remains intact within them. And lastly, while even normal weaponry has proven effective against them, they do not seem to feel pain, or express any type of feeling at all. They don't act like they have their own minds and wills, they're more like…"

"Automatons." Bravo offered. "Puppets, almost."

"Precisely. Now, everyone back in the other room. It's time you find out exactly what all of this means for you."

Once back inside the main section of the War Room, Shousei activated a massive computer monitor, displaying a map of Japan.

"We've have already sent Assistant Commander Busujima's team to the northern section where the disappearances first originated, and the first of those earthen golems was found. It is in this area…"

The map zoomed in towards the center of the Japanese islands, a bright circle appearing around one area.

"…that we will be sending you. Three weeks ago, a team consisting of Warriors Hisagi, Kuonji, and Sakisaka was sent to the Nagano prefecture, where that flame puppet was discovered. Their reports stopped coming in three days ago. You four are going to continue their mission while verifying if they are still alive."

"Their mission, Commander-General?"

"Reconnaissance. You are to see if any more creatures like the one we discovered are in existence in that area, and try to see what connections, if any, they may have with the escaped mutant cores. Now…let us review your team…"

"First up, Warrior Tsumura Tokiko; your record speaks for itself, I should think. Your skill with your Busou Renkin is among the best in the entire Asian branch of the Alchemic Regiment, your survival abilities in the field are top notch, and your determination is a valuable asset in combat."

Tokiko was slightly taken aback; the Commander-General was not known for being so generous with compliments! "Um…er…thank you, sir."

"Moreover, you are easily possesed of the greatest amount of commen sense on this team, and as such will be expected to keep certain members of your team…under control."

Tokiko blinked, then glanced sideways at Takeshi as comprehension dawned.

"Understood, sir."

"Very good. Next, Warrior Nakamura Gouta. You became a Warrior less than a year ago, is that correct?"

"Yes, Commander-General." Gouta responded.

Shousei nodded. "Remarkably talented for one so green. I have it from several veteran Warriors that your ability to plan and use strategies in the heat of battle are on par with the heads of our Military Tactics Division. Your Busou Renkin's versatility should also be very useful to your team."

"Thanks very much, Commander-General."

"Next…Ah, Warrior Mutou Kazuki. I am honored to welcome you back, and pleased that you still desire to fight for our Regiment, despite our past histories."

Kazuki smiled. "I can always be there for my comrades, Commander-General."

"Good to know. Your qualities include a powerful fighting spirit, an aptitude for combat that is Commander level at it's peak, and…" Shousei paused for a moment and actually gave the lance-wielder a halfway grin. "…a talent for keeping yourself and team members alive that borders on extremely aggravating for those who are trying to kill you."

"Thanks! …I think…"

"And last we have… Assistant Commander Kakusu Takeshi…the Alchemic Regiment's own self-proclaimed "Prince of Thieves.""

Takeshi grinned proudly. "You got it, Commander-General! Wallets, women's hearts, and the lives of homunculi; I steal 'em all! Why, I could- umph!"

Takeshi stopped talking and busied himself with trying to find his nose, which had just been impacted hard enough to send it about into the middle of his skull and drag the rest of his face inward for the trip, effectively silencing him.

"No interrupting the Commander-General. Now then, your fellow Warriors have given me mixed reviews on you. You are a shameless womanizer, you drink too much, you are constantly making enemies of everyone you work with, save for that select few who were admitted into the Regiment with you, and you have a major disregard for select safety measures."

At this point, Takeshi had finally caught the tip of his pointed nose and pulled his face back into it's proper shape with a popping noise. _These are __**mixed**_ _reviews!?_, he thought, careful to be silent, lest he incur another concussion-inducing blow from Shousei.

"However…your combat skill is quite admirable, and your position as the number six top-scorer on our survival training exam for new Warriors are both just the sort of thing that this mission requires, as is your time on the Ninth Company's Special Ops Reconnaissance Squad."

Takeshi smiled at this and started to say something, but shut up quickly at a pointed finger from Shousei.

"Be assured, if we were not sending Commander Sakimori on a different mission, your services would not even be considered for this. I will be expecting a report from you every two days without fail. If you treat this mission as a game, I shall have you demoted all the way back to Warrior Apprentice. Is that clear?

Takeshi gulped before giving a very solemn nod.

"Very good. You know what you must do. Do all of you accept your mission?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Alright. Your helicopter leaves in twenty minutes. Take the time to gather any necessary belongings and say any farewells you may have. Dismissed!"

All four alchemists brought up their hands in a synchronized salute.

"Yes sir, Commander-General!"

--

THE NEW STRAIN CHARACTER FILE #1

Kakusu Takeshi

Height: 182 cm

Weight: 70 kg

Born: March 25; Aries

Blood Type: A

Age: 20

Likes: Expensive _sake_, tofu, strong opponents, dark green colors, Hayasaka Ouka

Dislikes: Neglectful parents, dogs, hangovers, getting up early

Hobbies: Strength training (legs only), Listening to romantic songs

Special Ability: Can pickpocket anyone without being caught

Affiliations: Alchemic Regiment, Assistant Commander; Special Operations Reconnaissance Squad, Ninth Company (Former)

Author's Notes—

As it was, Takeshi came into the picture _after_ I thought up his Busou Renkin; I kind of built his personality around it. Some of my favorite moments in the original series were watching Tokiko get angry or embarrassed; Watsuki-sensei pulls off the cute-looking blush quite well with this character, and watching her pummel the source of her anger is entertaining to no end. Therefore, when I got the idea to do a Busou Renkin fic, I wanted a character in the story somewhere that could taunt Tokiko at just about every turn, but somehow live through it. However, he also seems to be too dense to know when to quit…

The fox-eyes were a last-minute touch when I decided to make this guy a sneaky type. If Takeshi's eyes are open, it shows that he is either excited or angry beyond reason.

A great deal of his background hasn't come to light yet, and I can't tell you here, or there'd be no point in telling the rest of the story. I can tell you the meaning of his name at the least; his first name, Takeshi, is a Japanese boy's name meaning "child of the military". Kakusu means "hidden".

The idea of Ikusabe being his proud teacher of Alchemic Warfare seemed only right; out of all the canon Warriors, Ikusabe seemed the most off in the head.

--

-- All right! Now we get to start the BIG fun! But not until next chapter, friends. I will be taking the upcoming weekend off in favor of an urgent business I must attend to-- Anime Central Convention! Yay! DVD box-sets at discounts! Cosplayers! Free arcade imports! Fun for the whole family except that really annoying uncle! Is anybody else going? PM me if so, would you? Next time: Onset and _Onsen_. Our favorite alchemists get to enjoy the start of their mission by killing a few hundred enemies and then relax in a nice, all-natural hot spring. Good clean fun, right? (Hands up, everyone who **knows** this will end in tears for certain squint-eyed folks.) Join in at my next likely-to-take-bloody-forever update, friends! - The Cap'n --


	5. Onset and Onsen

-- Okay, let us see what's...oh. Oh no... Tell me that date isn't correct. Tell me that I have slipped into a time warp somewhere along the line. I mean, my updates take a while, sure, but OVER A YEAR!? SERIOUSLY!? Ugh... Alright, first step to making amends is to cut off with my crap right here and just give you the chapter...I'll talk more afterwards, I think. Wow... -- The Cap'n --

-- Disclaimer- Guess what? I _do_ own Busou Renkin because _I_ am Watsuki-sensei!! Ha ha ha! Orderly, is it time for my pills yet? --

Part 5- Onset and _Onsen_

Using the twenty minutes given to them by Shousei, Gouta and Takeshi disappeared to their on-base quarters to retrieve their extra supplies and clothing. Tokiko and Kazuki were a bit worried on that point; all of their own things were back at the Academy dorms. However, those worries were quickly put to rest.

As it turned out, the reason Chitose had been absent during their debriefing was that Captain Bravo had requested that she return to Ginsei and retrieve the necessary items for them.

"Thank you, Warrior Chitose, and I do mean that," Tokiko said, checking through the bag that had been handed to her. "I doubt very much that Kazuki and I could have made it back to the dorms in time to begin our mission." Tokiko smiled slightly, privately pleased with Chitose's selections from her wardrobe.

"It was no imposition to me," Chitose assured her. "For my Hermes Drive, such a trip is a simple matter."

"Even so, we can't afford to waste any more time. This is a great help."

Tokiko shut the bag and stood up, turning to her companions. "Are we all ready to depart?"

"All set, Tokiko-san!"

"I'm ready, Senpai."

"Good. And what about—ehh!?!?"

Tokiko paused and gaped at Takeshi, who was busy entertaining the other six from Ginsei by juggling three of his fragmentation grenades.

"Hup, hup, hup…everyone watching?....keep your eyes on the bombs…and…here goes the big finish!..."

As he continued juggling, Takeshi seized and yanked out the pin of each grenade as it passed across his hands before giving each one an extra high toss up into the air. Following through with the other hand, he hurled the pins up to an equal height. Mahiro and the others held their breath. Next, Takeshi reached to one of the hip pockets of his Busou Renkin and held it open, letting the grenades fall into it in one straight line, then, with a quick movement, he reached up with both hands and caught the two of the three pins as they fell before snapping his teeth around the third, keeping all three pointed straight up. The grenades fell from three separate, glowing holes in the air and each landed neatly on a pin, rendering them harmless.

The Ginsei students clapped and cheered while Takeshi bowed and stowed the explosives back in his cargo pockets.

"That was great! You should be on T.V.!" Mahiro squealed.

"Pretty cool," Okakura admitted.

"What if you'd missed?" Rokumasu inquired.

"Well, if that were to happen, I'd just- ow!" Takeshi cut off painfully and stumbled forward as Tokiko drove both feet into the back of his head.

"You'd just delay our mission even further!? What do you think you're doing, Ero-Gitsune!?" Tokiko raged. "We have no time for you to be fooling around!"

Tokiko pushed off from the Assistant Commander's head and landed noiselessly on her feet. Takeshi winced as he massaged the back of his skull before turning with a squinty smile.

"Right you are, Tokiko-chan. I do love punctuality in a woman. Okay, Mutou-kun, Rookie-san," he ordered, motioning to them. "Pass me your things."

Kazuki stepped over and obediently offered Takeshi his knapsack. The fox-like alchemist folded the bag in half, a motion made very simple by the fact that it contained mostly clothes, and slid it down into one of his cargo pockets. As the bag disappeared inside, the pocket remained flat against Takeshi's leg, as if empty. Kazuki smiled.

"Already our superior officer's abilities are coming in handy. This'll make travel much easier!"

"Gya ha ha! True enough, Mutou-kun…" Takeshi chuckled. "Well, provided I don't die, anyway."

Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "What now?"

"Well, y'see, my Pocket Dimension transfers the items I put inside to an alternate space that it creates. Whatever I put in stays in that space until I pull it back out. Since I'm the only one who can create the Pocket Dimension, if I were to die, anything still inside would be trapped, unreachable for eternity." Takeshi grinned over at his three charges, midway through stuffing the pieces of Kazuki's tent into a pocket. "Fortunately for all of your valuable possessions, Warrior Ikusabe's done a decent job of teaching me how to avoid getting killed. You next, Rookie-san."

Gouta scowled and reluctantly turned over his bag, accepting, at the very least, that this would leave him free to move if the time came to fight.

"You want the futons, too?" Kazuki asked, holding his own up, but he was immediately waved off.

"Not unless you can roll it up much tighter, Mutou-kun. It has to fit completely through the pocket opening, or I can't store it. Alright, Tokiko-chan, that just leaves you." Takeshi held out one half-gloved hand, expectantly.

Tokiko frowned and gripped the strap of her bag tighter. "Not a chance. Hand you, of all people, a bag of my clothing to put in a space that only _you_ can access? What sort of fool do you take me for?"

"Hey!" Takeshi frowned right back, clearly insulted. "I may be a pervert, but I don't condone _that_ kind of voyeurism! Clothes…that's just creepy! What would I do with them anyway?"

"Don't look to me for ideas, Ero-Gitsune. Either way, I'll carry my own things."

"Eh, suit yourself. Everyone ready? Alright, let's get this mission underway!"

"I have my own duties to attend to. I wish you all luck." Chitose bowed to everyone and turned to leave.

"Goodbye, Chitose-san! And thanks again!"

The others from Ginsei moved forward to say their farewells as the helicopter pilot climbed aboard to start things up.

"Hey, you three," Tokiko called, motioning to Kazuki's friends. "While we're gone, would you mind getting the notes that Kazuki and I will need for our classes?"

"Not a problem, Tokiko!" Okakura assured her, flashing a thumbs-up sign. "You can count on us!"

"Thanks, you guys." Kazuki smiled at them. "You three are the best."

"Don't get too happy." Tokiko warned, a dangerous gleam in her eye. "I'm asking this favor with good reason. This time, I'm going to make _sure_ you're ready for your exams!"

Kazuki gave a nervous chuckle as he wondered just what his girlfriend might have in store for him.

"Onii-san! Please come back safely!"

"Don't worry, Mahiro. This won't be like the time with Victor. We'll be back soon. I promise. But, just so you don't get lonely…" Kazuki turned to his friends. "Hey, Daihama!"

"Yeah?"

"Look after Mahiro while I'm gone. Do that for me, would you?"

"Uh…y-yeah…no problem, Kazuki…d-don't worry…"

It was anyone's guess as to why Daihama suddenly seemed to be sweating a bit, or why his face was so red. A mystery, really.

"Alright, now that that's settled…let's go!"

The helicopter roared to life, the propellers rapidly picking up speed. The Alchemist Warriors turned to follow Takeshi as he slid the door open.

"Kazuki!" Okakura called over the din. "If it gets cold tonight, you'd better let Tokiko share your futon! As a man, it is your- ouch! Ow-ow-ow!"

Okakura jumped back to avoid further prickings with the barbed joints of Tokiko's Valkyrie Skirt. Their wielder growled fiercely, even as an embarrassed blush crossed her face.

"Continue that sentence. I dare you."

Okakura backed away, shaking his head vigorously and trembling all over. Tokiko glared at him a second more, then deactivated her weapon and boarded the chopper.

As everyone was settling into their seats, Kazuki glanced out the window and a thought occurred to him.

"Hang on," he said, turning to Takeshi. "Where did Ikusabe go? Isn't he going to see you off?"

"He had his own responsibilities to take care of. Besides, he said his goodbye before we left the War Room."

"But it's your first time leading!" Kazuki protested.

Takeshi was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable as his face was turned away. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and lacking in any humor. "I joined this Regiment for my own purposes, Mutou-kun. I'm not seeking anyone's approval. Besides, I've already accepted that I'm not well-liked around here. So, don't upset yourself over things that don't matter."

Kazuki fell silent as the floor beneath the chopper raised itself towards the forming opening in the ceiling. It _still_ didn't seem right to him. They were leaving for an undetermined amount of time, no telling at all when they would return…and not_ one_ person had shown up to give their farewell? You didn't need to be good friends with a person to see them off with a smile!

Gouta's eye was caught at that moment by sudden movement below. "Hey," he called to his companions, eyes still fixed on the sight below. "What do you suppose is up with those guys?"

Everyone got up and stepped over to the window, following Gouta's gaze to what looked like five people, two men and three women, carrying an enormous scroll of paper. Each of them seemed to be quite young, around their late teens, and all were dressed in the blue uniforms of the Alchemic Regiment. Two of them Tokiko recognized as the girls she had passed on her way to the Danger Room, the ones who had actually seemed happy to see Takeshi. The strangers separated, the men grabbing one side of the paper while the women pulled the other end, unrolling the long scroll and turning so that the helicopter passengers could clearly see it. Written upon it, in fancily scripted Japanese was a single sentence: _Ganbarimasu, Oyabin!!!_ Each exclamation point had its dot replaced with a grinning, cartoonish fox head. Not comprehending, but knowing of only one person aboard who could have anything to do with foxes, the other three turned to Takeshi with questioning stares.

For a moment, Takeshi said nothing, staring blankly down at the banner. Then, after a second, his face split into a broad smile, one of appreciation, rather than his usual impish grin.

"Those guys…I shoulda known…" he whispered. "Probably Kana-chan's idea."

Grinning wider, he pulled the window open and stuck his face out.

"Thanks, you guys!" he shouted down, cupping a hand to his mouth. "I'll give it my all, don't worry! Now get back to work! If the Commander-General catches you playing around, he'll skin all of us alive!"

The five down below cheered up at Takeshi as he pulled himself back inside and shut the window.

"What was all that about?" Kazuki inquired. "Who were they?"

"Some friends of mine," Takeshi responded, digging through one of his cargo pockets.

"Friends!?" Gouta exclaimed. "Of _yours_!?

"That's right." Takeshi was apparently used to the shocked reaction. "I met them years ago, at the orphanage where I used to live. They joined the Alchemic Regiment the same day I did."

Ah. Kazuki remembered Shousei saying something about that.

"None of them ever made Warrior," Takeshi continued, still rummaging through his pocket, "but they're a great bunch. Best friends a guy could ask for!"

Finally withdrawing his hand, Takeshi produced a pair of headphones, which he set upon his ears. Tokiko took another glance down, raising an eyebrow.

"_Oyabin_?"

Takeshi shrugged. "They started calling me that shortly after we became friends. It just sort of stuck."

Tokiko snorted in disbelief. "More like you enforced it to stroke your overblown ego."

Neither assenting nor denying this, Takeshi tapped the play button on whatever device his headphones were attached to, drowning out the voices of his comrades in a rush of music.

Tokiko made a disgusted noise and resumed gazing out the window as the helicopter finally lifted off and shot towards the north. As the mostly silent flight progressed, she caught herself pondering the exact question Gouta had posed. What exactly was there about this perverted, liquor-soaked creep that would make those five people regard him as such a highly-valued friend?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roughly fifty minutes later, Gouta glanced outside, noting the heavily wooded, mountainous terrain. They had arrived.

"This is it. We should be landing shortly."

He reached into his pocket and clutched at his kakugane. He hoped the mission would be a swift one. Since losing to Takeshi, he'd been considering doing some extra training on his own, once he could find the time.

Kazuki was also hoping for a fast mission, particularly one that ran along the lines of finding the other reconnaissance team. He hoped to never find a comrade of his dead; he'd seen more than his fill of people killed since the day he'd learned of alchemy.

Surprisingly, Tokiko also wanted the mission over with quickly; the sooner she got away from Takeshi, the better.

This made the next delay all the less welcome.

"Not there…not there either…Damn!"

Tokiko glanced up at the curse from the cockpit. "What's the problem?"

"Well, I've got the coordinates for where your drop-point is, but…there's not a clear enough space to set it down. Tall as these trees are, I can't even get close enough to let you use the ladder! These helicopters are expensive; I can't risk damaging it!"

"What about parachutes?"

"Yeah, that'd be the ideal solution but…" the pilot lowered his gaze. "But we've only got two with us. I forgot to get the extras back at the base."

"Isn't it supposed to be your job to _avoid_ these sort of mistakes!?" Tokiko fumed.

"I'm sorry!" the pilot yelled back "The Regiment's been a madhouse lately! Everyone's been pulling double-time!"

Kazuki glanced outside at the distance to the ground, then the trees. After some consideration, an inspired smile lit up his face. "Wait, Tokiko-san! We've dealt with this sort of situation before! What if we try…_that _method?"

Tokiko glanced over at him, pausing to think, then recalled, as Kazuki had, their battle with the homunculus Washio. "Hmm…actually…that should work just fine. Gouta, will you be alright?"

"You're certifiable, Mutou," Gouta grumbled. "But…yes, Tokiko-senpai, I can handle this."

"Alright! If we're all ready, then let's get going!"

As the astonished pilot watched, Kazuki yanked open the door and jumped straight out into the open sky. Tokiko followed, albeit taking a much more dignified method and simply stepping out. Gouta moved towards the door, still muttering about the insanity of this plan.

"Don't worry," he assured the pilot, whose eyes were bugging out, "we do this sort of thing all the time. Hm?"

Just as he reached the exit, Gouta happened to glance over at Takeshi and notice that he hadn't moved. The Assistant Commander was sitting in the same position he'd been in the whole flight, arms crossed, and staring straight ahead with his squinted eyes.

"Well, are you coming or what?" Gouta demanded. "What's wrong, afraid of heights or something?"

Then he noticed the headphones. Takeshi must not have heard a single thing that had been going on!

"You idiot, let's go already!"

Seizing Takeshi's half-gloved hand, Gouta leapt outside and pulled Takeshi with him. The wind whipped past his face as he dove down, eyes on the forest that was rushing up to meet him. After a few seconds, he caught up with the other two.

"There you are!" Kazuki greeted. "All right, we'll touch down in just a few seconds! You guys ready?"

Tokiko drew out her kakugane, gripping it firmly in her palm. "Ready."

Gouta likewise reached to his pocket, preparing to draw out his own weapon as soon as the moment came. "I'm good to go."

"Okay. Takeshi, you ready?"

The Assistant Commander gave no response. Kazuki glanced up, frowning.

"Takeshi, we're just about to land! Are you going to be alright?"

This time, Kazuki got a reply, but it was not comprehensible as any type of language he knew. Not unless snoring had just been declared the newest human tongue.

In about three seconds, two of them spent allowing several cross-marks to decorate her head, Tokiko had hurled her bag upwards, sending it crashing into the Takeshi's head. "Wake up, you perverted creep! I'm _not_ explaining to the Commander-General if you splatter like an egg!"

Any normal man would probably have remained unconscious for much longer as well as developed a slight concussion owing to the force at which the bag struck his head. Takeshi's only response, however, was to give a surprised snort and awaken.

"Hunh!?....Wha…What ya want?...What's—hey! We're falling!"

"Good, those squint-eyes _do_ work!" Gouta snapped. "Now get ready to land!"

"Right. No problem."

With mere seconds left until impact, Kazuki placed his right hand on his heart while the others held up their kakugane. As one, they shouted the command.

"Busou Renkin!!"

Kazuki immediately brought the Sunlight Heart Plus up for a forward thrust, aiming straight at the ground, holding his stance until finally…

"Energy…RELEASE!!"

At the last moment, the lance opened up, the sudden burst of golden light creating an outward pulse of energy that pressed a crater into the ground. This allowed Kazuki to momentarily dissipate the pull of gravity and reduce his descent to no more than that of leaping from a stepladder.

Tokiko kept the arms of her Valkyrie Skirt folded back, allowing herself to pass harmlessly through the treetops, then extended them out, hooking into the nearest tree. Keeping the momentum going, she pushed off in a downward, diagonal pounce, latching into the lower part of another tree. She continued in this manner all the way down to the forest floor, finally pushing off from the last tree and landing, perfectly balanced, on the tips of all four blades. Tokiko then put out her left arm and, without even glancing up, caught her previously-thrown bag by the strap, slinging it over her shoulder. She set her Busou Renkin to stand-by mode and landed gently on her feet.

Gouta angled his fall carefully, aiming for the thickest tree he could reach. Nearly on top of it, he attached his Busou Renkin to his ankles and shot both feet towards the dense trunk.

"Sky-Walker Mode!"

The rotating blades bit into the bark as Gouta skated down, spiraling around the tree like the planet's most insane rail-grind. Gouta braced himself, watching as the ground raced up…

"Now!"

Pushing off hard within a few feet of the forest floor, Gouta flipped upright in midair, landed hard on the Motor Gears, and dug them into the ground sideways, screeching to a stop.

"Nice moves, Gouta!" Kazuki called over. "You've gotten better since last time!"

"Let's hope so," Gouta replied with a grim look. "If this new threat is as dangerous as the Commander-General seems to think, we all need to be in top form."

"That's true… Tokiko-san, are you alright? You didn't hurt yourself landing did you?"

"I'm fine."

"Takeshi, what about you?" Kazuki scanned the area, but could find no sign of the fox-like alchemist.

"Takeshi? Hey, where are you?"

"Hey, Ero-Gitsune!" Tokiko yelled. "If you're alive, then say something! We don't have time for your stupid games!"

"Up here!" called a familiar, laughing voice.

The three teenaged Warriors looked up and all three faces shifted to expressions of surprise, one mixed with amusement, two with annoyance.

Takeshi was drifting down slowly, trying to aim towards a clearing with fewer trees in the way, his decent made much safer by the two camouflage-patterned parachutes that were billowing out of his cargo pockets. Takeshi was whistling placidly to himself while storing his headphones away. After a few seconds, he landed on the ground a few yards away from Kazuki, gently as a leaf.

"Great entrance!" Kazuki cheered, flashing a thumbs-up. "As expected of Bravo's lieutenant!"

Tokiko scowled at her boyfriend, exasperated. "What do you mean, "as expected"? And you!"

Tokiko rounded on Takeshi, her anger building. "Would it kill you to be _normal_!?"

Takeshi frowned, trying to free one of the chutes that had snagged a lower branch. "Me? You're the ones jerking me out of my nap into a freefall! What'd you want me to do, take the fall with my body?"

Tokiko turned away. "There will be time for wishful thinking later. Right now, we've got a mission to accomplish. This was the location of the first reconnaissance team when they sent their last report. If we follow the direction they were traveling, we should find them…or whatever got to them first."

Tokiko started moving, walking towards the northeast, to the foothills of the nearest mountain. Kazuki deactivated his Sunlight Heart and took of after her. Gouta stayed for a few seconds, watching Takeshi as he finally freed his parachute and began stuffing it back into the Pocket Dimension.

"Gya ha ha!" Takeshi chuckled, shaking his head. ""Wishful thinking" she says…she's something else, this Tokiko-chan."

His storage process finished, he strode off into the forest after the other two, still snickering. Gouta watched him for a moment more before following, reflecting for the first time how grateful he was to have been blessed with a certain degree of intelligence. One perk of such intellect, he knew, was not confusing Tokiko's anger for a source of fun.

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Twenty minutes later, the three Alchemist Warriors were looking a bit frustrated as they continued their thus-far fruitless trek. Takeshi marched along behind them, hands clasped behind his head as he surveyed the area with an air of monumental boredom. The search was going nowhere! They hadn't found the other Warriors, any of the creatures that Shousei had shown them, no signs of the mutant homunculus cores… There was no evidence of anything in these woods beyond the local squirrels! To make matters worse, the sun was close to setting.

"If we don't find anything before nightfall, we'll probably need to stop," Tokiko announced. "We won't get far trying to search in the dark."

"If light is all we need, I could always bring out the Sunlight Heart," Kazuki offered.

Tokiko shook her head. "Absolutely not. You're not expending unnecessary energy in this sort of situation, especially not to act like a human lantern. We need to conserve our strength in the event that we run into trouble."

"Some trouble would be refreshing about now," yawned Takeshi. "This is quickly becoming my dullest mission to date."

As if on cue, the ground suddenly tremored, nearly rocking the group off their feet. While the alchemists struggled to maintain their balance, they took note of the very odd behavior of the forest floor. The dirt was rising up, reshaping itself as if being sculpted by an invisible artist.

Apparently, this artist had frightening tastes.

All around, the earth twisted and warped, forming into shapes that Kazuki and the others found quite familiar; thick, clublike arms and hands sprouted from sturdy bodies set on equally powerful-looking legs. A diamond-shaped head appeared at the top of each, two tiny black eyes glittering at the sides like chips of obsidian. Near the base of these heads, a split formed, opening to reveal a multitude of ugly, jagged teeth.

Taking only seconds to appear, this small army of earthen beasts formed a tight ring around the Alchemist Warriors, walling them in. Tokiko glared at Takeshi.

"Have you ever considered keeping your mouth shut, even for a few minutes?"

"Gya ha ha! Don't be afraid, Tokiko-chan!" Takeshi waved a dismissive hand at their enemies. "These guys won't be any trouble. Just stand back, and I'll protect you."

Tokiko went quite for about three seconds, then her glare intensified ten times over and was turned on the creatures surrounding them. Her Valkyrie Skirt exploded out of its stand-by mode with a fast sweeping motion. The three men were forced to duck as two of the robotic arms shot backwards. The four arms together created a wide, circular slash, completely bisecting the monsters that were closest and reducing them to dust. With an angry cry, Tokiko pointed all four blades forward and charged. Her companions simply stood and gaped as the Alchemic Regiment's own Battle Girl proceeded to cut, stab, slash, hack apart, and otherwise obliterate their attackers with inhuman speed and frightening brutality.

The earthen puppets certainly weren't taking the assault lying down, immediately converging on the _seifuku_-clad alchemist, swinging their broad arms. However, the difference in speed was made painfully obvious right away.

As the closest of the creatures aimed a swipe at her, Tokiko shot her blades downward, pushing off hard from the ground. She easily vaulted over the incoming arm, then came down hard on her would-be assailant with two blades, creating an X-shaped cleaving motion. Once back on the ground, Tokiko turned the tips forward and began a series of rapid jabs while running forward. The quick stabs decimated about ten of the puppets in only half as many seconds. Finally, with a fast spinning motion, Tokiko extended the arms out to their greatest reach, performing one last wide-area sweep, effectively destroying the rest of the monsters.

Retracting the blades close to her body, she turned and began marching back towards the others, her eyes not without any of their previous intensity. Before she reached them however, one last creature appeared behind her, jumping up out of the dirt, much like a dolphin from the sea. Apparently, it had evaded her final strike by hiding below the soil.

"Tokiko-senpai!" Gouta called, pointing a finger to warn her, slightly too late. Even so, he needn't have been concerned.

Quicker than any of the boy's eyes could follow, two of the Valkyrie Skirt's blades pierced the incoming arm from either side, forming an X as they sank in. They hoisted the gritty beast up and over Tokiko's head while the other two blades remained close to the ground and turned to face straight up. Completing their forward motion, the blades that held the creature flipped it straight over and slammed it down onto the upturned points, impaling it simultaneously through the head and chest.

The entire process took no longer than the span of a breath.

Even before the thing had completely dissolved, one of the free blades shot out, hooking its barbed point under the collar of Takeshi's shirt, yanking him forward and forcing him to bend down to eye-level with Tokiko as she stepped closer.

"Before we continue this mission, get two things straight right now, Ero-Gitsune. First…" Tokiko's golden eyes flashed dangerously as she growled out her words through gritted teeth. "I do not, nor will I _ever_ need protection provided by _you_. Second, Commander Bravo isn't here to save you this time. The Commander-General has specifically instructed me not to kill you for any of your nonsense. However, as long as I make sure to leave you just barely alive…"

The other three blades reared up, their tips only a hairsbreadth from Takeshi's throat. If the Assistant Commander so much as sneezed, he'd be rewarded with several new air-holes.

"You be sure to reflect on that when you speak to me from here on out."

Tokiko called her Busou Renkin back, releasing the somewhat-stunned Takeshi, and turned away. Gouta stared after her, awestruck. For his part, Kazuki did his best to hide a grin. His long-held desire to protect Tokiko hadn't weakened any, but he had to admit that, more often than not, she handled that department quite well on her own.

Takeshi fingered the new hole in his shirt collar, seeming slightly uneasy.

_Wow, _he thought, noting the moisture on his brow, _that actually made me break a sweat. What would have happened, I wonder, if I'd fought her for real back at the base?_

"You okay, Takeshi?" Kazuki stepped up beside him, inspecting his neck for any puncture damage.

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about it." Takeshi muttered, hastily brushing the sweat away with the back of his glove. "Although…I think Warrior Ikusabe's got the wrong idea about you, Mutou-kun."

"What?"

"Yeah…," Takeshi turned to him with a serious face. "He wants to take you on, but he's overlooking the only thing more dangerous and violent than a former Victor; his girlfriend!"

He had whispered, true, but not nearly quietly enough. Especially considering how good a top-level Warrior's hearing was.

Tokiko turned her head, one eye staring over her shoulder, its gaze burning into the Assistant Commander's forehead. "_What_ was that!?"

Fortune was apparently on Takeshi's side that day, however. Tokiko had gotten no further than a step towards him when the quaking started again. The ground rose up around the Warriors, surrounding them with an army at least three times the size of the group Tokiko had destroyed. The four alchemists pressed their backs together, gazing out across this sea of thick limbs and snapping mouths.

Takeshi smiled his obnoxious smile, evidently pleased with this turn of events. "Gya ha ha! All right! Round two begins! Keep track as you go, guys! Whoever gets the most has the losers buy him dinner!"

So saying, he leapt forward, taking off the head of the nearest monster with a fast boot to the face.

"Just what sort of nonsense are you-!" Gouta began, but was cut off as Kazuki rushed past him, aiming his lance.

"You're on!"

"Don't encourage him, Mutou!" Gouta yelled. He would have spent a few more minutes grumbling about his male comrades, but the earthen fist shooting past his nose swiftly reminded him that he had more urgent problems.

"Busou Renkin!!"

Seconds after the command, the creature that had just tried to attack him, as well as the five closest to it, fell back missing their heads. The Motor Gears arched away from each other after this, soaring back towards their wielder in two separate semi-circles, tearing through the torsos of every monster in their flight path, before catching on the tips of Gouta's outstretched index fingers, where they continued their rapid rotation. Gouta paused for a moment, noting that while he had managed to put a few holes in these monsters, those that he hadn't beheaded were still closing in on him, not seeming to even notice their missing pieces.

"Okay then…" Gouta said, sending his chakrams spinning down to attach to his ankles. "We aim for the vitals! Motor Gear—Sky Walker Mode!"

Dust rose in voluminous plumes as Gouta sped forward, straight into the thick of his attackers. Just as the nearest of them took a swing that could have shattered his body, Gouta ducked under the blow and, staying perfectly balanced on one blade, shot out his right leg, the fast kick driving his chakram straight into the monster's leg.

The result was similar to an electrical saw meeting a thin piece of wood; the revolving blade quickly bit right through the mobile soil, severing the leg in an instant. Off-balance, the creature toppled sideways, crashing down exactly where Gouta would have been, were he not occupied with repeating the process on the next beast several feet away.

He proceeded in this manner through the entire swarm that had been pursuing him, speeded along so well by his Busou Renkin that his attackers never even had a chance to touch him. Finally emerging on the other side, Gouta straightened and jumped, rocketing the Motor Gears upward as he landed. Catching one on each finger tip, he spun to face his dismembered foes and, utilizing the momentum of the spin, fired his chakrams directly towards the line-up of exposed necks.

The earthen horde never even saw what hit them.

Catching his Motor Gears once more, Gouta spun around to assess his companions. All seemed to be faring well, none of them having been wounded yet. Takeshi in particular seemed to be enjoying himself, the result making his kick-based fighting style seem to resemble dancing with glee.

"Battle-crazy lunatic…" Gouta grumbled. Absently, he tallied up in his mind that he had currently killed twenty-three of their attackers. He dismissed the thought quickly and started towards a new group; he was _not_ getting sucked into that pointless contest!

Kazuki dodged another clumsy blow from a solid soil arm before slamming his lance down and crushing the offender into its own origins. However, no sooner had he dropped that one then at least ten more rose up in its place, surrounding him. Dodging blows from every direction at once, Kazuki was having some understandable difficulty finding time to plan the best counter-attack. As he weaved through the stream of punches, his eyes fell on Tokiko, carving through yet another monster, declaring her usual promise of gut-splattering.

_That's it!!_

Recalling Tokiko's initial assault, Kazuki raised his lance above his head, holding it horizontally, then began to spin it with a quick hand-over-hand maneuver on the handle. Energy streamed out as the blade expanded, transforming into a wide ring of golden light that cleaved through the surrounding attackers and continued outward as the lance widened further, destroying even those that hadn't gotten close enough to orient an attack on Kazuki. The brilliance faded as Kazuki called his lance back. His share of the enemy destroyed, he turned and ran over to assist Tokiko with hers. There were no doubts in his mind of her ability, but she had dealt with a huge amount of them already.

"Gya ha ha ha ha! Forty-three! Forty-four! Come on, this can't be_ all _you freaks have got! I'm not even tired yet! Forty-five!"

Takeshi was plainly having the time of his life as he proceeded to jump and duck past every strike aimed his way before countering each in turn with a lethal kick. As he leapt over another fist, he shot himself sideways and pushed of hard from the trunk of a tree, rocketing himself towards his attacker. One foot crashed into this one's chest, putting a hole in the shape of a boot-print straight through its body, as the other foot pushed off yet again towards a different creature. Like an insanely cackling pinball, Takeshi shot himself off three more mud monsters before planting a fierce double kick into the midsection of a fifth and passing his whole body through like a giant bullet.

"Heh…that was a 46-50 combo. Eh?"

Glancing back, Takeshi took note of the remaining creatures converging on him, relentless in their mindless attempts to kill him.

"Geez…this was fun at first, but I'm starting to get bored with these wimps," he yawned, reaching for one of his cargo pockets. "Let's just wrap up here."

After a moments worth of rummaging, Takeshi retrieved the corked _sake_ gourd and a dark green lighter. His eyes opened slightly in an evil smirk as he uncorked the gourd and raised it to his lips.

"Kitsune Arts, One of Nine…"

He took a deep pull from the gourd, then flared up the lighter with a quick flick of his thumb. Facing his enemies, Takeshi raised the lighter, then sprayed out the liquor in a wide stream. The alcohol ignited immediately, and each of the earth creatures was quickly swallowed up by the resulting wave of flame. Takeshi's eyes shut as he replaced the items in his pocket with a chuckle.

"Four Tails- Fox Fire."

Noticing how quiet things had suddenly become, the Assistant Commander glanced around and discovered that all was still. Save for his fellow Alchemists, the forest was empty once again.

"All beaten, huh? Oh well, they weren't enough of a challenge anyway… So!" Takeshi exclaimed, turning his squinted grin towards Gouta and Kazuki, "How'd you guys do? Can either of you beat a score of sixty-nine?"

"I took down fifty-six…" Gouta grumbled. Honestly, a small part of him was annoyed to have lost in any way to Takeshi, but he wasn't about to say that. "What's it matter? I never agreed to this game of yours!"

"You agreed the second you threw a blow, Rookie-san. I _will _make you pay, regardless of your complaints! Gya ha ha! And I'll be sure that it's some day when I'm good and hungry!"

"You are such an unreasonable, idiotic-!"

"Mutou-kun, what'd you get?" Takeshi asked, cutting off Gouta, who growled at the double insult of being ignored and interrupted.

Kazuki paused and scratched his head. He seemed to be thinking it over for a minute, then sighed and threw up his hands.

"I'm not sure, actually. I lost count around ninety."

Takeshi paused in mid-grin as he swallowed this information, then turned his suddenly less-than-cocky countenance towards the area Kazuki had been fighting in. Assessing the number of dirt mounds that lay in the wake of the battle, it seemed that Kazuki was indeed telling the truth.

"Hmph…" he muttered to himself. "Leave it to the former Victor with the longest weapon range…Oh well, a deal's a deal!" he declared, now speaking loud enough to be heard. "You name the night and place, Mutou-kun, and I'll foot the bill for the evening. Hey, why don't you go along with him, Tokiko-chan? Make a date of it! I'll treat you both to something nice!"

Tokiko was silent as she approached, gaze downward, eyes shrouded. Takeshi kept grinning, waiting for a response to his offer. Respond she did, but in a much more painful manner than the green-haired man had hoped.

Takeshi let out a single pained grunt as Tokiko's hand shot out, digging her extended fingers in for a sharp jab between his ribs. He dropped to his knees, sputtering and coughing.

Tokiko's hand pulled back, than arched upwards before coming down again with her index finger pointing angrily at Takeshi's head. "Pull something like that again, and I'll order up your head on a platter! You do _not_ use fire recklessly in the middle of a forest!!"

Struggling to stop coughing, Takeshi reached to his cargo pocket and pulled out a fire extinguisher. "I—(hack hack!) I had th-thought (cough!) of that possibility, so-"

"Shut up! That's beside the point!"

With that, Tokiko turned on her heel and marched off, announcing that it was time to find a spot to set up camp. Kazuki followed close by, trying to calm her down, and Gouta and Takeshi brought up the rear, the latter massaging his chest to alleviate some pain from the finger stab. None of the men knew this, but in truth they had all lost the competition; Tokiko's number of enemies killed outmatched Kazuki's by at least sixty.

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"Okay, now let's get this thing going!"

Further along by roughly a ten minute walk and now on a wide ledge in one of the lower foothills, the party had stopped to rest for the night. Takeshi had already pulled out the tent sets and his three charges were working to set their own up. The Assistant Commander's own tent lay forgotten as he now began pulling blocks of wood from his cargo pockets to start the campfire.

"This is kind of nostalgic," Kazuki smiled, turning to Gouta as he tapped in his tent stakes. "Reminds me a bit of the last time I camped out with you and Tokiko-san. Only…"

"Only this time we don't have Commander Hiwatari and his lunatic entourage trying to kill us at every turn," Gouta finished, the memory appearing to make him uncomfortable.

"Ah, the Re-Extermination mission that Warrior Ikusabe got to join! I heard all about that!" Takeshi called, having overheard. "That sounded like such a blast! I really wish that I could have been a part of-"

"Do you?" Gouta questioned with a contemptuous sneer.

"What? Oh… Oh! Well, come on, you know I only meant-!"

"Hey, hey, guys, take it easy! It's no big deal, Takeshi. I know those guys were just following orders. I don't hold it against them any more than I would you if you _had _been part of it.

Gouta glanced over at Kazuki and shook his head. "Sometimes, I don't know how you can be so forgiving, Mutou."

"I told you before," Kazuki responded, his smile still firmly in place. "As long as we're fighting for the same thing, we're comrades. The past has nothing to do with that. How's that fire coming?"

Takeshi pulled out his sake gourd again, uncorking it with his teeth. "Almost done, Mutou-kun! Just let me get it goin' now! Four Tails- Fox F- hey!"

"I told you to stop that!"

Takeshi cut off and jumped back as a hurled tent stake embedded itself in the ground right where he had been standing. However, having attempted the dodge from his hunched over position, his landing was a bit clumsy, thus sending him backpedaling towards the side of the ledge and over it. There was a moment's silence, then a loud, unexpected splash.

"Guh! (cough) Ouch! Ow ow ow! Hot! It's hot!" came a surprised, sputtering voice from beyond the ledge. The other three rushed over and looked down to see Takeshi, roughly six feet down, hauling himself out of a large, steaming pool of water. He was still coughing, and his skin seemed to be a few shades redder than normal.

"Wow," Kazuki marveled. "A natural hot spring! Didn't expect to find one of those around here."

"Huh?" Takeshi glanced over his shoulder at Kazuki's words, re-assessing the spring he'd just climbed out of. Within five seconds, his smile returned. "Hey! This is great! What an opportunity! Here, just let me set this up here, this over here, a few of these…"

As he spoke, Takeshi was rapidly moving around the water's edge, pulling out numerous tools and other objects from his Busou Renkin and setting them up. Within minutes, he had the entire outer edge surrounded by thin curtains stamped with the traditional steaming water emblem of the bathhouse, and a ring of lit paper lanterns illuminating the entire area.

"Okay! All finished! Come on, you three, get down here! "Takeshi called, already pulling his wet shirt off.

"What's with this, all of a sudden!?" Gouta yelled.

"Why not?" Takeshi inquired reasonably. "We had our sparring matches, then packed up and left. Then we spend nearly an hour in the air, only to come down here, walk around aimlessly and fight several hundred monsters. You're telling me you don't feel like a bath after all of that?"

An almost audible pause followed this query as the trio of younger Warriors shared a three way glance. Then…

"Fine. That's not a bad idea. However," Tokiko glared down at Takeshi with her most intense stare. "I'm going to ask you to make just one slight adjustment first."

"That being?"

"Put up a barrier."

"What? Aw, come on! Mixed bathing is a completely natural-"

Tokiko's eyes flashed as her Valkyrie Skirt activated. Takeshi's mouth snapped shut, then he turned without a word and produced several tall shoots of bamboo and a length of rope, fashioning a crude, but quite effective barrier. After watching him place this in the spring and secure it with a well-placed kick to the top, Tokiko pronounced herself satisfied and walked over to the far side of the spring, toting a change of clothes and a small collection of bath supplies.

Several minutes later, the men were all relaxing in their side of the hot water, enjoying the relief of fading muscle tension.

"Out of curiosity, Takeshi, why _did_ you have all of this with you?" Kazuki asked.

"You know how it goes, Mutou-kun," Takeshi answered, peering out from behind the hair over his eyes. "Be prepared for any situation, no matter how unexpected. Of course, in the situation I had envisioned, I would have needed to bring out the incense and the rose petals…can't say you two would have been here either. Maybe Tokiko-chan, but I'm not entirely sure."

"Grr…at least I can take comfort knowing that you can't peek on her," Gouta grumbled.

"How's that?"

"Tokiko-senpai is smarter than you've given her credit. If she went in before or after us, you would have been able to try spying on her from a distance. She knew that, and came in at the same time. This way, you can't do anything. Not safely. Sorry to disappoint you, you filthy letch."

"Who's filthy!? And anyway…" The wicked grin appeared, losing some of its effectiveness with his eyes covered by hair. "You're quite wrong about that, Rookie-san. Never underestimate my abilities of stealth. Observe!"

Takeshi moved through the water, headed for the divider. Gouta immediately moved to stop him.

"Not a chance you perv- hey!" Gouta nearly fell backwards as Kazuki grabbed his shoulder. "What're you doing, Mutou!? This creep is going to peek on Tokiko-senpai? That doesn't bother you!?"

"Just watch," Kazuki assured him. "Tokiko-san can't _be _peeped on. It's impossible."

Not the slightest bit convinced, but too far away to do anything, Gouta could only do as instructed and watch as Takeshi swam over to the barrier and ran his hand over the bamboo, searching for a decent-size rift in the wall. Apparently finding one, he gave a lecherous chuckle as he pressed his right eye up close.

As soon as his vision adjusted and the area beyond the barrier fell into focus, Takeshi was given a full, unobstructed view of part of Tokiko's body. Unfortunately for him, that part happened to be her fist, slamming against the barrier directly over his eye.

"Ow!" Takeshi fell back, momentarily going underwater, then resurfacing with the entire right side of his face already swelling and turning several shades of purple.

"You'd better watch yourself, Ero-Gitsune!" Tokiko called over, the sound of animosity thick in her voice. "I'm pretty experienced with idiots like you and I know all the tricks! You've only got one eye left, so I suggest you choose your next actions more carefully."

Takeshi dipped his face halfway into the spring, bubbles appearing rapidly as his angry mutterings came out as unintelligible gurgles. Gouta stared in astonishment as Kazuki chuckled.

"I told you. Tokiko knows how to handle herself. Takeshi won't even get a glimpse."

Gouta still wasn't quite sure, but was distracted slightly by the dull ache in his legs. Fighting with those earthen creatures earlier had worn him out. What exactly were those things anyway? What was it Bravo had called them? Automatons? No, wait, that wasn't their actual name, that was just a word to describe…

Gouta's eyes opened wide. "Mutou! Hey!"

"Hm? What? What's the problem?"

"Those things we were fighting. You remember what Bravo was saying about them?"

"What Bravo said? Which part?"

"He called them automatons, puppets! What do most puppets typically have?"

Kazuki paused, considering. He was pretty sure that his companion wasn't talking about strings, but what else could…

Then, it hit him. "A controller. Someone to pull the strings and make it move."

"Exactly."

While the two were talking, Takeshi was still over by the divider wall, having no intentions of giving up easily. Snickering quietly, he moved over to the bank of the spring and grabbed his Pocket Dimension, which he had taken off and folded, rather than deactivating. First, he rummaged around in a cargo pocket and finally pulled out a small periscope device. His snickering intensified as he stuck one side into a hip pocket and brought the opposite end to his undamaged eye. The top of the lens emerged from a portal just above the surface on Tokiko's side. He turned the scope this way and that, trying to catch Tokiko in the lens, certain that, this time, he'd outfoxed her. However, a split-instant later, he saw a flash of silver across the lens, then found himself staring at the sky. Confused, he pulled the periscope back across the dimensional rift and got quite a surprise. The upper end of the instrument was gone, apparently having been sliced off quickly and cleanly in one motion.

"You even wear that thing in the bath!?" he called, quite astonished.

"Shut up!" came the angry reply. If one listened properly, they could actually hear the cross-mark in her voice.

Meanwhile…

"But who…or what, maybe, could be controlling these things?" Gouta pondered.

"Could they be like those revised humanoid homunculi of Dr. Butterfly's?" Kazuki asked. "The Commander-General was saying that they were genetically similar to homunculi."

"Similar." Gouta pointed out. "He never said "identical." Still, you could be right. But if you are…that would mean…"

Kazuki gritted his teeth. "That would mean that there's some other lunatic like Butterfly running around. But there's also those mutated cores to consider. Do they figure into this somewhere?"

"Tough to say," Gouta answered. "Maybe this new madman, whoever it is, found the cores and used them for his own purposes. Of course, the possibility also exists that something entirely different is going on…if we can find the other Warrior team, we should be able to learn more from them. As it is right now, there's still too much we don't know to draw any wild conclusions."

Back by the barrier, Takeshi had finally come up with a winner. At least, he hoped it was.

_Gya ha ha ha… well-played, Tsumurin. Very impressive. However, this round goes to me. All I need to do is wait for you to step out of the water. That way, I can at least get a brief look. I'll get disciplined for it, of course, but it will be well worth the pain. I'm becoming used to the power of your blows anyway. Now…I just need to wait for the right moment…_

On the other side, there was silence. However, after three minutes came exactly what Takeshi had been waiting for; ripples in the water, indicating motion towards the bank, followed by the slight splash that meant Tokiko had climbed out of the water.

_Now!_

Takeshi hauled himself out of the water and hurriedly tied a towel around his waist, before rushing back to the barrier and stepping around it to behold…Tokiko, dried off and fully dressed in a sleeveless black top and dark blue skirt. She stared at him with a cold calm, as if she'd expected this intrusion.

"Disappointed?"

"Eh? Wha-? No way… That's…impossi-"

"Now you know otherwise." Tokiko advanced, cracking her knuckles. Her expression was no less calm, but a gleaming red light had awakened in her pupils.

On the other side, Gouta listened as the scolding Takeshi received sounded remarkably similar to the way Shousei had dealt with him.

"Ow, ow, ow! Hey, careful, if you pull that any farther, it's gonna—gyaaaa! Ouch! Okay, I apologize, so now could you- agggh! (cough) That's gonna leave a mark. No, no, stop, that doesn't bend that wa-aaaaaaaaaaaaaay! Gyaaaa!"

A few seconds later Takeshi came crashing down on the bank a few feet from Gouta. He was quite a mess; a curtain of blood was dripping down from his forehead, the entire right side of his face was even more grotesquely swollen and bruised, the imprints of fists decorated almost all available space on his chest, and his left arm was twisted backwards at the elbow. Somehow, his towel had stayed on through it all.

Gouta shook his head, disgusted. "Say what you like, Mutou, but if he keeps annoying Tokiko-senpai, I'm prepared to do much worse to him, even if you won't. You got that?"

There was no response. Gouta grabbed the shoulder next to him and shook it to demand attention.

"Hey! Did you hear me?"

Just then, Gouta, still gripping the shoulder, gave a start as the water about five feet away exploded and Kazuki's head and shoulders burst up with a loud exhale. The lance wielder made his way to shore and climbed out, pulling a towel on before catching sight of the pile of bruised flesh that was his superior officer and shaking his head.

"Really, Takeshi, you should probably quit this before you're killed," Kazuki sighed. "I know you love challenges, but…Tokiko-san takes guts."

"(cough) W-well…I'm…grateful for the compliment, Mutou-kun…but…"

"Don't misunderstand," Kazuki told him. "That was no compliment. I'm serious; if you keep this up, she _will _take your guts."

Gouta paused, his hand still where he had grabbed. _Wait…if Mutou is over there…then who…?_

Gouta turned his head to see just whose shoulder was in his grip. He found himself staring into the wide-eyed face of a young woman.

She was still halfway in the spring, looking as if she had been about to get out, so it was hard to gauge, but she seemed to be just slightly taller than Tokiko. Her hair was a medium length, falling only half an inch short of her shoulders, and was a very dark shade of tan. Her face was rather non-descript, very plain in feature…all except for the eyes. These were a lovely shade of icy blue, seeming bright enough to give off their own light. Currently, these eyes were very wide, showing a mix of shock, fear and uncertainty. Her face was rapidly turning red, likely due to the fact that she was, at the moment, no more dressed than Gouta.

Gouta blinked twice, then finally seemed to realize that he still had this stranger by the shoulder. He quickly withdrew his hand as if the skin he was gripping were on fire.

"Oh…um…this is…I'm sorry, I thought…er…who…?"

SMACK

Gouta's head snapped sideways as a palm crashed across his face, sending him splashing into the water. Coughing and gasping, he got to his feet…and found that his assailant was gone, without even a ripple in the water to indicate she had been there.

"Hey, what-!? Did you guys see-!?"

Kazuki and Takeshi looked at him blankly, midway through getting dressed.

"What's up, Rookie-san? You getting out yet? Stay in there too long and you'll boil yourself."

"You didn't see her?"

"Tokiko-san? She's back up with the tents."

"No, I meant the other girl!"

"Other?"

"Yeah, the one who was just…" Gouta trailed off, the expressions of his comrades telling him that they had no idea what he meant. Had he imagined her? No, that couldn't be; the stinging in his cheek proved otherwise. But even knowing that…where had she come from? Where had she disappeared to? And most importantly; who was she?

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-- Edit: I forgot this in the first post of this chapter, but the translation of the farewell that Takeshi's friends gave him should come out as "Do your best, Boss!" I forgot that some people don't speak Japanese. Forgive me. - The Cap'n --

-- Geez, a good alternate title for this chapter might have been "Takeshi Routinely Gets His Head Handed to Him." What can I say? Tokiko's disciplinary measures do tickle my funny bone so. Alright. This is normally the time when I make up some excuse or try to blame a crewmate for my delay, but...this time, I'll just bite the bullet. Most of the time I took off was due to school, yes, but a good portion of it came from procrastinating as well. There is no excuse for it to last as long as a year. In the future, I cannot promise to update in under a month, but I will be striving to avoid taking such a ridiculously long time again. That's all for this update, fans. I confess that, while it has been long since my last post, I will still be very shocked if Mr. Sacred/Profane has not reviewed within five minutes of the update. Honestly, I have yet to figure out how he does it. At any rate, here's what you really wanna know... Next time, the search for the other Warrior team continues. There are still no leads to point the way, but that may change when Gouta's mysterious friend appears a second time. Who is she? Why is she in this area? Is she there to help the Alchemist Warriors or harm them? Will anyone still care by the time the chapter is posted? All will be answered next chapter in "Ally or Foe? The Nameless Stranger". See you there! - The Cap'n --


	6. Ally or Foe? The Nameless Stranger

-- Happy One Year Closer To Our Inevitable Doom!! Well, it's been said that I only update once in a blue moon, so I guess that makes this perfect. I must give thanks to Hotshot14, who provided a character that is mentioned in this chapter. I may actually use the character later, as Hotshot has given permission to do so, but for now, I just needed a name. Many thanks, shipmate. Also, Buhiro the freaky pig makes a brief cameo in this chapter. I couldn't resist. The opportunity was so perfect. Sorry if some people are annoyed. Anyway, what say we get going?--

--The Cap'n

--Disclaimer- If I owned Busou Renkin, do you think I'd be a pirate for a living!? .......Well, even so, that's not the point!--

Part 6- Ally or Foe? The Nameless Stranger

"I'm telling you, she was _there_!" Gouta shouted, for what had to be the eighth time that morning. Everyone had gotten up a bit late thanks to the extra time it had taken to drag Takeshi out of his sleeping bag and the party had resumed their search for the other Alchemist Warriors, trekking once again through the dense woods. The night had passed without any problems, excepting Takeshi trying to peek into Tokiko's tent around midnight and failing horribly as the Battle Girl beat him senseless yet again. The thing was, both alchemists had been so worn out by the day's battles that neither could remember the incident happening at all. The result of this was Tokiko feeling more annoyed than usual with the Assistant Commander, but unable to figure out why, and Takeshi wondering what could have happened to give him even more bruises than he'd gone to bed with as well as a throbbing ache in his jaw. Ah well, he'd figure it out later. At the moment, he had an argument to win.

"And I'm telling _you_," he sneered at Gouta, "that you're still wrong. There was no girl in the spring after Tokiko got out. You were imagining things, Rookie-san."

"You think I _imagined_ getting smacked across the face!?" Gouta raged, stabbing a finger at his own left cheek. "You all _saw_ the handprint! Why would I bother making this up!?"

Takeshi turned to face him, his eyes opening slightly in an incredulous glare. "Good point, Rookie-san. However…if this mystery-girl of yours really exists…then where did she go? How is it that nobody saw her before, after, or during the time she attacked you? Or so much as saw her leave? Huh!? Answer me that!"

"I…" Gouta lowered his gaze in annoyed defeat. "I don't know…"

"That's right, you don't. Now shut up about it. We have a mission to accomplish…_without _being distracted by ghost stories."

"Fine, fine…" Gouta grumbled, turning away with a frown. "What's up with _you_ anyway? You fall asleep on a rock or something? You're even more unpleasant than normal this morning."

Takeshi's eyes cracked open even wider. "The short answer is "I have a headache", Rookie-san."

"You have a _hangover_," Tokiko corrected, "and it's your own fault. Getting heated up in the bath, then drinking yourself to sleep; what'd you expect was gonna happen?"

Takeshi's eyes squinted shut again, still looking irritated. "Maybe so, but his storytelling isn't making it any better. Let's just drop this and continue with the mission…and if you all don't mind, keep it down. Urgh…"

Gouta stared after the fox-faced man, his gaze burning holes into Takeshi's back as the Assistant Commander fished around in his cargo pockets, finally producing a pill, presumably a headache cure of some kind, and popping it into his mouth. Gouta considered for a moment more, then lowered his eyes, knowing that, as good as it would feel at the moment, nothing good would come of attacking Takeshi. There would be other times.

At the moment, he was wondering what was going on with Tokiko and Mutou. Why had they just stood there while Takeshi had called him a liar? They hadn't said anything in his defense, despite how well they knew him! Weren't they supposed to be friends!?

This thought fizzled out quickly as a sharp, repetitive beep cut through the silent autumn air. All eyes turned to Tokiko as she pulled her phone out and glanced at the tiny screen. Moments after her eyes scanned the readout, Tokiko's face lit up with fresh determination.

"This could be it!" she cried, holding the phone out so that the others could see. A GPS map displayed itself on the phone with a blinking red mark flashing just a little bit off of the center.

"Tokiko-san, what's this?" Kazuki asked. He'd never seen something like this on his own cellphone.

"A signal," Gouta answered, looking it over. "One that comes from a program installed in our Warrior's phones. Well, the higher-level ones anyway. Shouldn't _yours_ be going off, too?"

He turned to Takeshi, who was wincing slightly from the shrill signal. Pausing for a second, Takeshi reached into his cargo pocket and produced a cellular phone patterned in camouflage. Immediately, the signal got louder as the two phones sounded off together. Cringing, Takeshi hit a button on the side of his own, silencing it.

"Yeah, mine's picking it up, too…wasn't able to hear it in the storage dimension, though…"

"So don't leave it in there!" Gouta yelled, his face contorted in anger at this new example of his superior officer's incompetence.

"I told you to keep it down, punk!" Takeshi yelled back, his face just as angry.

"Both of you knock it off!" Tokiko shouted over, before clicking the silence option on her own phone. "This is important! Kazuki, this program is installed by the Alchemic Regiment just in case of exactly this situation."

"What's that?"

"We were told during our briefing that the first reconnaissance team stopped checking in four days ago. We can assume that this means they're not answering any of the calls that have been sent to them either. Therefore, the Commander-General would have activated this program in their phones." Tokiko held hers up as she continued the explanation. "It allows the other Warrior's phone to send out a GPS signal that can only be detected with the settings the Alchemic Regiment installs, making it so we can pinpoint the locations of missing Warriors within a certain distance. Mine is currently picking up the signal of Warrior Hisagi's phone. According to the readout…Southwest of here, just a little over a mile! Let's go!"

The assembled group took off after Tokiko, hurrying towards the source of the signal. A feeling of mutual relief swept through the three Warriors; they'd finally managed to locate the other team! With this, it would be mission accomplished! Not to mention, as Gouta and Tokiko were both thinking, they'd finally be well rid of the annoyance masquerading as their superior officer.

Takeshi himself was a bit upset at the thought of ending the mission so quickly, as this would mean he'd be without any more monsters to fight…but maybe this could be a good thing, too! If the Commander-General saw that his first time leading a mission had resulted in such a quick success, it would mean major points on his record… Before long, he could be promoted again, all the way to full Commander! Maybe see about getting Ouka-chan to be his Assistant…Gya ha ha ha!

Being so distracted by his wishful thinking, it was only by pure chance that the fox-faced _sake_-lover happened to notice that Tokiko had stopped right in front of him. Grinding his boot soles into the dirt hard, he halted himself a hair before he would have plowed into her.

"Hey, hey, Tsumurin, don't stop so sudden-nnmph!"

Tokiko didn't even turn to look at him as she clapped a hand over his mouth, bringing a finger to her lips to signal silence. Her gold eyes scanned over the forest like a hawk's, aimed not at the ground, but the tree branches.

"Come out!" she called, putting on her fiercest tone. "We know you're there! Show yourself!"

The men looked around, shocked at this. Someone nearby? They hadn't noticed anyone! It made sense, however. Gouta and Kazuki were still inexperienced, and Takeshi, despite his years of training, had been well off-guard.

Everyone shifted in position, once again taking up a four-way back-to-back, and waited, silently, barely daring to breathe. What would happen? Who was hiding, and where? Would they reveal themselves? Maybe try to attack? No way of knowing.

A minute passed.

Two minutes.

Eight minutes.

As the standoff approached twelve minutes, however, everyone began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, their mystery guest had lost interest. Tokiko strained her ears, hoping to catch another rustle of leaves as she had before…but to no avail. The woods were silent and showed no sign of changing that soon.

"I…" Tokiko glanced to the side, scratching the tip of her nose as her face reddened. "I guess it was just a squirrel, or something…my mistake."

"Don't worry about it, Tokiko-san," Kazuki reassured her. "Anyone could have made that kind of mistake, given the circumstances."

"Mutou's right, Senpai. This mission is putting all of us on edge. Better safe than sorry, anyway."

"I suppose so…" Tokiko mumbled, before shaking her head and striding forward again. "At any rate, we should get back to following-"

CRRRRAAAAACKKKK

Everyone jumped at the sound and Gouta was given just a split-second's worth of time to notice the huge branch falling towards him. Surprised, but not completely deprived of his wits, he dove forward, evading the impending squish by inches. The heavy branch made a solid thud as it hit the ground, sending up a dusty cloud of dirt.

However, even with this brush with serious injury, the second the branch landed on the forest floor, Gouta got to his feet and joined his fellow alchemists in turning towards it, ready to fight. Just like his comrades, he had noticed the loud "kyaaaaa!" that had accompanied the falling limb. Last he'd checked, trees didn't typically scream.

Everyone tensed up, waiting for the cloud to settle. As the last wisps of gritty smoke faded, they beheld, at last, the person Tokiko had sensed.

The sight greeting them was…unexpected…to say the least.

The person before them was dressed in a full-body black uniform, even including a partial mask that stretched over the nose and mouth. They wore a green vest that was covered all over the front side in pockets, each of which was fastened shut. The black pantlegs were taped tightly to the ankles and the shoes were a strange, open-toed type of boot. Weirdest of all was the headband, tied up around a messy pile of dark tan hair, with a thin plate of metal attached to front. Engraved on the very center of this metal piece was a strange symbol, somewhat resembling a curl of smoke. This headband was worn in a lop-sided fashion, pulled down to cover the stranger's left eye. The right eye was currently squinted shut in a pained expression.

"Ow ow ow ow ow…that smarts…" The stranger lamented, the timbre of the voice marking her as most likely being female. One hand supported her forehead as the other massaged her butt, which had apparently taken most of the force of her fall.

The alchemist warriors just stared, unsure of how they should react.

"Uh…" Kazuki began.

At this, the girl's uncovered eye shot open in surprise. Its brilliant blue gaze glanced across the line of people facing her before she jumped to her feet and moved a hand to one of the vest compartments. From within, she pulled a small, black sphere, roughly the size of a large marble, and pitched it at her feet.

"Nin!"

The ball exploded, once again shrouding the area in a thick cloud of smoke, this one a shade of iron grey. It was all for nothing, however. Even as his eyes started to sting, Takeshi gave the stranger no time to make use of her tactic. Striking a stance, he kicked upward with tremendous force, the wind from the kick gathering up the grey plume and shooting it up through the treetops. The girl was revealed standing shock-still, her uncovered eye bugging out. After a second, she blinked, cocked her head to the side, and sat back down on the forest floor, apparently thinking hard.

"Ohhhh…now what?" she wondered aloud. "Ninja are not meant to be seen…and the escape was a bust…what do I do in this situation…?"

Once again, the Warriors stared, this time sporting a collective sweatdrop. Finally, deciding to take the initiative, Tokiko stepped forth.

"Hey."

The girl glanced up. "Hello. Nice to meet you."

Tokiko's eyes shifted to blank white as her teeth turned jagged. "Don't just say, "It's nice to meet you" in this type of situation! Who are you!? Why are you following us around!?"

"Eep!" The girl backed away, her bright blue eye widening in surprise at the sharp reply.

Gouta stared at her for a moment, suspicion building in his eyes, before a look of realization crossed his features.

"Wait a second…"

The sandy-haired alchemist stepped closer, extending a hand. Once he was within reach, he grabbed the top edge of the girl's mask and yanked it down, fully exposing her face.

"I knew it! It's you!" Gouta exclaimed.

The mystery girl stared up at Gouta for a few moments, looking confused. However, a second later, she pointed up at him with a sharp "Ah!" of recognition.

"Hey, Mutou, Tokiko-senpai, this is her! This is the girl from last night! She appeared in the hot spring out of nowhere, and I mistook her for you, Mutou, and…and…"

He turned back to the young woman, suddenly angry. "And you hit me!"

She stared right back, pulling the headband away to reveal both eyes, letting her hair fall, and seeming more confused than ever. "Wasn't I supposed to?"

Now it was Gouta's turn to look confused. "Eh?"

"Well, from what I've researched, that _is_ the most traditional response." She rubbed her chin, frowning as she pondered the matter. "I suppose I could have tried something else, but I didn't want to risk giving a completely wrong reaction, so-"

She paused, feeling a sudden vibration from below. The Alchemic Warriors likewise noticed the all-to-familiar tremoring begin under their feet. Sure enough, within seconds, the ground burst upwards into an army of earth creatures, easily equal in number to the group they had fought the day before. Tokiko pointed a sharp finger at the oddly-dressed young woman.

"We'll explain later. For now, just try to keep safe. Get back up the tree, if you can."

The stranger seemed to have gone momentarily deaf, however, as she was sitting shock still and gaping around at the soil monsters, eyes wide with…surprise? Fright? Perhaps equal amounts of both? Whatever the case, it didn't look like she'd be moving anytime soon.

Tokiko noticed, but decided her efforts would be better used eliminating the threat first. Activating her Busou Renkin after a high jump, she aimed her descent towards the thick of the swarming beasts, slashing viciously in all four directions at once. With this single attack, at least sixteen earth monsters lost their heads and crumbled to dust, new creatures surging in to fill the gaps almost instantly.

Kazuki spun the Sunlight Heart Plus over in his hands, carefully lining up his shot while dodging the heavy fists and snapping jaws. Concentrating on his goal, he waited for several seconds before widening his eyes and thrusting the lance forward with a fierce yell. The tip of the lance burst forth in a blaze of yellow light, piercing through close to thirty monsters at once, just as they had all lined up in front of it; exactly as Kazuki had been watching for. Without pausing to let these dissolve, Kazuki swung the entire length of his weapon sideways, mowing down another enormous group in seconds.

Gouta was weaving his way skillfully through his own section, alternating between Sky Walker and Knuckle Duster Modes. First he'd slide in with the speed of his Sky Walker, then shift the chakrams to his hands and lay into his enemies, aiming the spinning gears for the throat. Then, as each beast fell, he'd zip away with the Sky Walker before one of its comrades could catch him.

Takeshi just kept spouting his usual irritating laugh as he danced around all of the fists aimed his way. Following one especially hard punch that shattered the ground he'd just jumped away from, Takeshi pushed off with a kick from one creature and sent himself rocketing headfirst towards another. Upon reaching his target, he seized it around the neck with one partially-gloved hand and used his momentum to swing his body around it in a horizontal circle. While so doing, he extended one leg out, and obliterated every monster surrounding them with a powerful kick. After making a complete circle, he swung the leg back, shattered the head of the creature he'd been using, and landed heavily on his feet, chuckling like a demon.

The three Warriors and the Assistant Commander turned to one another…and discovered that all of them had finished at the exact same time, thus leaving no need to come to anyone else's aid.

"Geez…" Takeshi muttered. "You'd think they'd at least change their fighting style up a bit…I saw every one of their moves yesterday. I could've handled that in my sleep."

"Then we'll let you have 'em next time," Gouta retorted. "Better than listening to you complain."

"Nevermind that right now," Tokiko called. "We still have another issue at hand. Are you alr- Er…what? What is it?"

While turning to check the well-being of their mysterious friend in the ninja garb, Tokiko had been made a bit uneasy at the sight of her. She had removed the ninja outfit entirely, now wearing a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt that looked a couple sizes too big. The front of the shirt was emblazoned with a logo of a giant golden crown that had _Shounen King_ written across it in black. She was currently standing with both fists clenched and her eyes replaced by twinkling stars.

"So…so…cool…" the strange girl breathed, casting her bright stare at each of the Warriors in turn and marveling at their weapons.

"Excuse me?" Tokiko frowned, a large sweatdrop forming at the back of her head.

The light from the stars faded as the stranger squeezed her eyes shut with an excited squeal. "That was _amazing!_ The monsters appear, putting an innocent life in mortal peril, and before you know it the good guys show up…!"

As she had been speaking, the young lady had been waving her hands around in energetic gestures and accompanying her description with the appropriate dramatic poses. Coming to the part about "the good guys", she pointed sharply at the Alchemist Warriors.

"…and "Boom!", the monsters are history and the day is saved! Yes, that's _exactly_ how it's supposed to go! You guys really know your stuff! Approved!

The final word was accompanied by a thumbs-up and wink. What followed was about a full minute of near-complete silence. (Near-complete because a bird could be heard cawing loudly overhead.) The Warrior's bizarre guest seemed completely oblivious to the overall awkward tension in the air, however.

_I must be cursed. I just keep attracting more and more weirdoes. _Tokiko sighed to herself, deactivating her Busou Renkin with this thought.

At the sight of the kakugane, the stranger's eyes widened and became totally serious.

"Hey…that thing…I've seen that before!" she hurried over, grabbing Tokiko's arm before she could put the hexagonal tool back in her pocket. Glancing up, she stared hard at the Alchemic Regiment crest on Takeshi's shirt. "And that mark…"

Releasing Tokiko's hand, she stepped away and surveyed the group as if she'd just seen them for the first time.

"You guys…are you…Alchemist Warriors?"

The four she was addressing shared a synchronized glance at this. Whoever this girl was, she knew about the kakugane and the Alchemic Regiment. Something was definitely up. Tokiko stepped closer, staring hard at the stranger's face, as if trying to detect any hint of dishonesty.

"Yes, it's true that we work with the Alchemic Regiment…but how do you know about it? Forgive my suspicions, but it's just not something that's supposed to be common knowledge."

Rather than answering, however, the girl responded with another question. "Then, do you know two people called Ichiro and Sakurako?"

At this, it was Takeshi who suddenly snapped to attention. "Yeah! …Well, if you mean Warriors Sakisaka and Kuonji…then, yeah, I know them. We're actually searching for them right now. Do you know something?"

"Yes, those are the names they gave me," the stranger answered. "They're taking up lodgings at my cabin right now. Unless they left while I've been gone, but…"

She paused, suddenly seeming to remember something, then a look of panic crossed her face as she clapped her hands to the sides of her head.

"Oh, NO! I've been gone for more than a day! I have to get back and make sure they're all right! So careless! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Takeshi rubbed his chin, then interrupted the girl's self-berating with another question.

"Is there a third person? There should be a Hisagi Tsuna with them."

The stranger glanced up, and scrunched up her face, putting the tip of her index finger to her forehead as she concentrated. Then…

"Nope. Sorry, but I've never heard that name before. Besides, there're only two people sharing my cabin with me right now. I'd remember if there had been even one more."

Takeshi frowned at this, seeming worried.

Tokiko paused to think, then turned away from the girl, motioning for the men to come closer. "Excuse us for a second…"

The four alchemists gathered together, huddling up to talk things over.

"Well, she doesn't _seem_ to be lying…can't think of why she would, really, but you can't be too careful."

"True…but she says that she knows where two of our missing comrades are. Can we really afford to ignore something like that, Tokiko-san?"

"I'll agree with whatever Tokiko-senpai decides. Besides, I still have a few things I want to ask this girl."

"It's decided, then?"

Everyone turned back to their new friend, Takeshi extending out a hand.

"Well then, if you wouldn't mind, could you lead us back to your cabin? We'd like to find our fellow Warriors as fast as possible. Eh...?"

Everyone paused yet again. In the time they had spent turned around, the stranger had donned another new costume, this time dressed in a magenta and white kendo garb and woven straw sandals. A sword with a black sheath was at her hip and she had tied her hair back into a ponytail. She looked up with a serious expression, displaying a cross-shaped scar on her left cheek.

"As you wish. Follow this one. You shall be led to your friends immediately, _degozaru._"

Tokiko stepped forward, once again baring jagged teeth. "What's with this, all of a sudden!? Are you just joking with us!?"

"Oro!?" The girl took a step back, wide-eyed in surprise at the fierce reaction.

Kazuki put a hand on Tokiko's shoulder, leading her back behind the others and trying to calm her down while Gouta took over questioning their strange friend.

"So…why _are _you dressed like that? In fact, as long as we're asking, what was with the ninja get-up before?"

"This? Doesn't…everybody do this kind of thing?" She pulled the robe off and rubbed the scar off of her cheek before letting her hair fall.

"Er…no, why would you think that?"

"Oh…I had always thought…this is exactly what the etiquette training I'd read up on said to do…was I wrong?"

_Etiquette training? _Still having no reasonable idea what this girl was talking about, Gouta decided to skip the whole thing for now in favor of more important matters.

"So, which way to this cabin of yours?"

At this, she looked away, seeming a bit embarrassed. "Ah…about a days walk. Off in that direction."

She pointed, indicating the northeast.

"A whole day!? What are you doing so far out on your own?" Takeshi asked.

"The hot spring. I was going to head down the mountain for provisions, and figured I'd stop for a bath. Nothing quite like the natural warmth from that spring… It's a bit out of my way, but I thought I'd be back in plenty of time. Then, after I found you, I was curious to see what you were doing. I don't get many visitors."

"Why not walk up to us and ask?" Tokiko wanted to know.

The girl stared at Tokiko as if she'd just been asked why breathing was a good idea. "I had my ninja gear on. I couldn't just allow you to see me."

Before Tokiko could explode again, Takeshi stepped in front of her.

"Well…if that answers everything…" the Assistant Commander spun and pointed off to the northeast. "Lead the way, Miss……er…ah, excuse me, but what _is_ your name? No, no, wait, let me first. It's only right to give your own name before asking someone theirs. I am Kakusu Takeshi, Assistant Commander of the Alchemic Regiment. Please call me Takeshi."

"Glad to know you."

_We'll see how long that lasts. _thought Gouta.

"These two over here are Mutou Kazuki and Tsumura Tokiko. They like to be known as "The Infamous Strawberry Pair". Urk!!"

Takeshi's eyes opened for a second as Tokiko punched him hard in the back, successfully hitting his kidney. The fox-faced pervert collapsed, frothing at the mouth and twitching in pain as Tokiko stepped over him and bowed her head slightly.

"I apologize for my outbursts before. It's nice to meet you, too."

The girl glanced down at Takeshi, cocking her head. "Will he be alright?"

"Hasn't stopped him yet," Kazuki answered. "He should wake up in a minute. Anyway, glad to meet you."

"The feeling is mutual, Kazuki-san, Tokiko-san. Tell me, what is a "Strawberry Pair"?"

Tokiko paused at this, turning slightly pink. "Well…we don't use any such ridiculous title…but it _is_ true that Kazuki and I share a relationship…"

"You're married!? How romantic!"

Tokiko stumbled over the air in front of her, caught off balance by this one. She turned back to the girl, now glowing like a traffic light. "How do you jump to _that_ kind of conclusion!?"

"We aren't quite ready for such an important step," Kazuki added, quickly, "but I think it's fair to say that we're more than just boyfriend and girlfriend."

Tokiko's blush did not dim in the slightest, but she did mumble a couple words of assent to this statement.

"Ah…I think I understand…" said the mystery woman, clearly understanding nothing. "And what about you?"

Gouta walked over, seeming a bit uneasy about friendly interaction with someone whose first impulse had been to knock his fillings loose at their first meeting. Even so, he bowed politely.

"Nakamura Gouta. Nice to meet you."

The stranger responded by bowing her head very far forward indeed, so much so that it was a wonder she didn't fall over. "My sincerest apologies for having hit you, Gouta-san. It will not happen again."

"Er…" A few beads of sweat slid down Gouta's face. How did he respond to that? "Don't…don't worry about it. It doesn't even hurt anymore. So…what's your name?"

The girl immediately raised her head and answered. "I don't know."

The three Warriors collapsed to the forest floor. _That was way too quick!_

"Hold on…" Gouta climbed to his feet, rubbing the back of his head. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Just what I said. I have no idea what my name is. I don't remember ever having one. Or having anyone else around to tell it to, really."

"Couldn't you pick one for yourself?"

"Absolutely not!!!"

Everyone started as Takeshi rose up, finally waking from Tokiko's kidney-shot.

"You can't just ask her to do that! A name is a very special gift!!" His normally squinted eyes were about halfway open and burning with a look of passion that they hadn't seen since his fight with Kazuki. "It loses everything if you decide it for yourself! Someone has to care enough to _give_ you something that meaningful! And the one to do it is…you, Rookie-san!"

"What!? Why me!?"

"You found her, right? Take responsibility!"

"_Now_ you believe me!? And furthermore-"

"Shut up and give this poor girl a name!" Takeshi shouted, his eyes now open completely. "I should kick you half to death for making her wait _this _long!"

"Alright, alright, calm down…" Gouta muttered. "Geez…alright, let's see…name, a name…mmmm….

Gouta glanced back at the plain face of the girl, waiting patiently with her icy blue gaze fixed on him, wondering what identity he would choose for her.

"Well…we first met you at a spring…how about Izumi?"

The girl started to answer, but was cut off by Takeshi.

"What!? Is that the best you can do!?"

"Then _you _do it! Why does this matter so much to you, anyway!?"

"Classified!"

"Um…do I get a say in this?"

The blue-eyed girl waved a hand at them, trying to get their attention. After they stopped fighting, she paused, as if considering.

"I-zu-mi…" She said, letting each syllable roll off her tongue. She considered a moment more, then her face broke out into a glowing smile, directed at Gouta. "Yes, I like that. I would be happy to have it for my name. I accept, Gouta-san. Thank you."

Gouta didn't respond right away. He'd just spotted something distracting; this girl was quite plain in feature, that much he'd decided on already. The only thing truly remarkable about her were those impossibly bright eyes. And yet…just for a second, when she had smiled, he could swear he'd seen a shadow of the first time Tokiko had ever smiled at him. But then it was gone- the entire notion had been ridiculous anyway. This girl didn't look anything _like_ Tokiko-senpai.

"No problem…so, uh, which way?"

"Ah! Right!" The newly-named Izumi turned and marched to the head of the group, leading them to the northeast. "Follow me! It'll be a bit of a walk, but I'm sure your companions will be pleased to see you!"

* * *

After a few hours, the group had come back to the same area they had first dropped in at. So far, they had needed to stop twice to deal with more attacks from the earthen beasts. Izumi had handled these situations surprisingly well, staying put when she was told to and allowing the Warriors to protect her from being attacked. Each time, she had gone starry-eyed yet again, proclaiming her admiration for her companions in a manner befitting a sports fan. Much like their friends back at Ginsei, Tokiko, Kazuki, and Gouta decided that this was one of those situations where it would be best to accept their new friend's bizarre quirks and avoid the headache of figuring her out. It came as a slight surprise that Takeshi was hitting it off really well with this girl. For some reason, she didn't find his perverted attitude to be offensive and was still holding a pleasant conversation with him.

"But then, who are the other five?"

"Hm?"

"Well…" Izumi reasoned, ticking off five of her fingers, one at a time. "If you're the number six top scorer on this "survival training" in your regiment, there have got to be five above you, right? So who are they?"

Takeshi paused. He had told people of his achievements before, but most stopped listening before he got to this part. Even if they didn't, he had never been asked that question before. As a result…

"You know, I have no idea. Ah, well…" He pulled his phone out and began typing something in. "No time like the present for finding out!"

Gouta glanced over, watching as a list of statistics popped up on the miniature screen. "What's that?"

"Gya ha ha! This is the list of scores for each person who has gotten through the survival training and been made a full Warrior. Normally, all you can see is the score, but, part of my promotion includes access to the passwords. All I have to do is type that in and we can see who scored what."

"We were being scored on that?" Gouta asked, mildly surprised.

"Of course, Rookie-san! How else would they determine who was Warrior material? You think it's enough to just complete the training?"

Gouta hadn't considered that… Maybe that was why he'd made Warrior so long after Tokiko-senpai? If he had _known_ that somebody was keeping score…

"Alright, here we go. Scores are determined by the amount of time you took reaching the goal, how good a condition you were in when you reached it, and the methods you used to survive," Takeshi explained. "Bearing all that in mind, our number five scorer is…oh. It's _that_ guy…brrr…."

Takeshi shuddered, looking away from the screen as his face paled somewhat. Kazuki strained his neck and read the text onscreen.

"Warrior Inukai Rintaro? Hey, I remember him!"

"You ought to," Gouta replied darkly. "His Killer Rabies nearly ripped us apart."

"Killer Rabies…" Takeshi muttered, shivering. "Just the _thought_ of those things makes my skin crawl…urrrrgh…."

"What's your problem?"

Takeshi glanced over at Gouta, still seeming uneasy. "You remember Warrior Ikusabe saying I'd been beaten by three other people besides Mutou? Bravo was one and Hayasaka-san was another. This man, Inukai…he was the third."

"Really?" Now it was Kazuki's turn to be surprised. "I'd have thought someone at your level would be more than a match for him. I mean, Inukai-san was no slouch, but even so…"

"I…have a little problem with d…d…d…"

"Dogs?"

Takeshi flinched as if someone had shot at him. "Yeah…those. It's kind of a deep-seated phobia…I've had it for a while. When I fought Inukai, I was…kinda…too scared to move."

"That's not such a big deal. Everyone's scared of something, right?"

"Yeah, well…anyway, who's next?" Takeshi tapped a key and glanced back at his phone. "Ah, this is interesting. From our branch in the United Kingdom; Warrior Edwards Shinsi at number four. Wow…impressive record on her. She's killed almost as many homunculi as Warrior Ikusabe…ah, that explains it…her parents were in the Regiment, so she knew about this stuff all along. Looks like she won't stay on the list very long, though…"

"Why not?" Tokiko asked. She wasn't about to admit it, but she was actually becoming interested in hearing about these higher ranking Warriors.

"Well, this list only includes the names of Assistant Commanders and below. Once you make Commander, they take you off. By the looks of things, this Edwards lady is due to be promoted to Commander in two weeks." Takeshi frowned for a second, feeling a twinge of jealousy. Ah, well, he'd get his promotion somehow. At any rate… "Number three is…ha! No surprise here. Warrior Kuonji Sakurako. I expected she'd be on this list somewhere."

"Ah! Sakurako-san!" This time, it was Izumi chiming in. "The same one who is staying with me?"

"That's her. She's the main reason I thought this mission would be easy." Takeshi told them. "If she's with that reconnaissance team, I pity whatever monster or homunculus gets in their way. That woman is tough as nails…kinda scary sometimes…but then, that's probably her biggest charm point! Not unlike you, Tokiko-chan!"

Tokiko shot him a sideways glare that would probably have reduced any sane man into a gibbering wreck. "Believe me, once this mission is done with and we have no further business with you, I'll give you an excellent notion of just how scary I can be."

"Heh heh…I'll look forward to that, then…anyway, at number two, we have…eh!?"

The surprised expressions seemed to be contagious, as Takeshi was now sporting his own, gaping in disbelief at the readout. Gouta and Kazuki peeked over his shoulder and, in a rare moment of total agreement between the two, both put on identical proud smiles.

"Number two best score at survival training," Gouta read off of the screen. "is Warrior Tsumura Tokiko."

"Particularly excelling in combat ability, resourcefulness, and cool intellect under fire." Kazuki added.

Izumi turned to Tokiko with round eyes. "Wow! As expected of Tokiko-dono! You really are amazing!"

Tokiko blinked. "What do you mean by "as expected"? You just met me today. And don't embellish my honorific over something like this. It's the first I've heard of it anyway."

It may have just been a glint of sunlight refracting in just the right way, but for a split-instant Tokiko seemed to be mildly pleased.

Takeshi stared into space for several seconds, forgetting about the phone in his hand.

_Number two on the list… True, it's only the grade on the survival training, but even so… I'm beginning to wonder…if I haven't made an almighty mistake in my choice of who to pick on... Come to think of it... _He shot a sideways glance at the scythe wielder as a bead of sweat dripped past his eye. _ A scar like that had to come from __**somewhere**__._

He shook his head, deciding that the issue was unimportant at present…and besides, it was giving him the willies!

"Now, here it is…the moment we've all been waiting for…" Takeshi pulled a cordless microphone from his cargo pocket, holding it up dramatically as he spoke into it. "Our number one scorer on the survival training is…ah…"

Once again, the Assistant Commander paled, and began to sweat much more heavily than before.

"Hayasaka Shusui…I should have suspected…"

"What!? Really!?"

"Yeah…" Takeshi scanned further down the readout, his skin growing steadily whiter as he spoke. "According to this, he completed the trial in just four days…and when he arrived at the goal, the only damage he'd suffered was losing the right sleeve of his uniform…"

Takeshi dissolved into more shivering as Kazuki absorbed this information, visibly impressed. Hayasaka-senpai may not have belonged to the LXE anymore, but his drive to gain strength had decidedly not diminished in the least.

"Hey!" Everyone jumped as Takeshi snapped out of his trembling daze without any type of warning. "What'd you place, Mutou-kun? I'm not finding your name in here anywhere!"

"Oh, well…I don't think I ever went through the survival training."

"Yes, you have," Tokiko said, glancing back at the lance wielder. "You went through Bravo's special training. Anyone who could survive that for more than a week is more than worthy of being an Alchemist Warrior."

"Really? It seemed like he was taking it pretty easy on me that time."

Takeshi was stunned anew. "You actually got _personal _training from Commander Bravo!? That's…he almost _never_…grrr, why not _me_, dammit!?"

Takeshi spent the rest of the walk that day with a blue funk hanging over his head, a sullen sort of expression that he'd not used at all during the time they'd known him, and taking frequent drinks from his _sake_ gourd. Tokiko and Gouta didn't notice, being preoccupied with their gratitude towards whatever force had decided to shut him up.

* * *

By around sunset, the party had reached the base of one of the taller mountains. Tokiko once again called for a collective halt and had everyone start making camp.

"What!? Right now?" protested Izumi. "But we're so close! My cabin is just a little further beyond this mountain."

"It's too dangerous to travel when we can't see," Tokiko answered, very firmly. "We're not taking any stupid risks with the Regiment in a state of emergency as it is."

Izumi didn't look pleased, but nodded her head anyway. "If Tokiko-dono says so, then it's probably best. How do you want to proceed tomorrow, then? We can either go over at a less steep point, or just walk around. Going around the side is usually safer, but climbing over is quicker."

"Well…we can decide that before we set out tomorrow. Thank you, though. Your knowledge of the terrain has been a big help so far- Uh…"

In the instant it had taken Tokiko to ponder the question and turn back, Izumi had changed clothes again, this time being dressed in a blue and white striped top and an orange skirt. A wooden bracelet with a giant glass bauble set into the top was worn on her left wrist.

"If it's navigating, leave it to me! My skills are second to none!" she declared.

Tokiko dropped her forehead into her palm with a deep sigh. "Please…stop that."

Minutes later, with Izumi back in her normal clothing, and everyone seated around a campfire, everyone reached to their bags to pull out a _bento _box. (Excepting Takeshi, who pulled his from the Pocket Dimension.) As they started to eat, however, it came to their attention that Izumi had nothing. She had made no comment, but was eyeing the boxes with a masked look of longing.

"You know, if you're hungry, we can share with you," Gouta told her. "It's not a problem for us."

"Oh, no, I wouldn't want to impose on you," Izumi replied, waving a hand in front of herself. "I'm fine, really. I can go for quite a while without food. It comes from living up here in the mountains for so long-"

She was interrupted as her stomach emitted such a tremendous growl that her voice was drowned out. She fell silent and stared at the ground, her cheeks shining crimson. Gouta put on an understanding smile and held out his own meal.

"Here, go ahead. You're doing us a great service by assisting with our mission. The very least we can do is make sure you don't starve."

Izumi seemed reluctant, but finally edged forward and took the box from him. "Well…if you're sure…then, with your permission, I'll- urk…"

Izumi paused, glancing into the _bento_ to find herself staring at a meal consisting of rice, pickled vegetables, and beef teriyaki. Dropping the box, (Gouta caught it) she turned and darted into a darker section of the woods. Kazuki and Tokiko stared after her in shock, but before they could move to retrieve her, they heard the unmistakable sound of someone retching. A minute later, the Warrior's guide returned, wiping her mouth and looking ashamed.

"I'm very sorry for that," came her meek whisper, as she stared down, unable to meet anyone's gaze. "But I have a problem with meat. I…I can't even stand to look at it. It just makes me feel sick to my stomach."

"Is that all?"

Everyone glanced back to see Takeshi dipping into his cargo pocket before he retrieved another _bento_ with a set of chopsticks taped to the lid. He scaled this across the fire to Izumi, who caught it, looking surprised. She opened the lid and was relieved to find the box divided into sections of tofu, bean sprouts and white rice.

Takeshi grinned. "Can't claim to be vegetarian myself, but a man must always be prepared. Particularly if a lady is in need."

Gouta shot him a dark glare, choosing to take this comment as a jab at his own masculinity. Whether this was the case or not, he never got to find out as Izumi chose this moment to raise a question, with her mouth already full of rice.

"That…Pocket Dimension, was it? It's truly a wonder! What else do you keep stored in there?"

Takeshi smiled, flipping open the flaps of the cargo pockets. "Well…we've got this, this, this, a few of these, a couple of those…"

As he talked, the fox-faced alchemist was pulling all sorts of bits and bobs out of his pockets and tossing them into a pile behind his body. Included were an entire set of training weights, two or three more _bento_ boxes, what looked suspiciously like several wallets, (Gouta gave an outraged cry as he retrieved one he recognized as his own) a collection of magazines on guns and other weaponry, as well as a few on subjects somewhat more…risqué, a framed picture of Hayasaka Ouka, an anti-mosquito coil, and a box of adhesive bandages.

"Wow…" Izumi marveled, her starry gaze back once more. "That sure looks handy. How does it work? I mean, do you remember right where everything is?"

"Gya ha ha! Conveniently enough, I don't have to!" Takeshi boasted, puffing out his chest as he rummaged around further. "All I do is picture what it is I want, and if it's stored in here somewhere, it comes to my hand immediately!"

"Amazing!"

"Quit being so loud, and clean up your mess!"

"Do you have to brag about _everything_?"

Where'd you get that picture of Ouka-senpai?"

"Excuse me, but could you let go of me?"

Everyone paused, not recognizing the deep voice that had just spoken. Eyes went in all directions until, at last, all gazes drifted to the left cargo pocket of Takeshi's Busou Renkin. Protruding from it, with Takeshi's hand closed around it, was the small, hairy face of what seemed to be a pig in a white bandana. Perched atop it's head was a small, grinning snail. At first, everyone believed they were seeing things until the creature spoke again.

"It's not that I'm not enjoying the break, but I really do have a deadline to meet, so-"

Whatever the piggish thing was, it got no further as Takeshi hastily shoved it back down into the pocket. Everyone was silent for several minutes following, staring at the open pocket with white, blanked-out eyes. Finally, Kazuki spoke up.

"Um…what in the world was that thing?"

"I…I don't know…" Takeshi confessed, looking very uneasy. "Let's just forget it, and never speak of this again."

Continuing his rummaging, Takeshi finally pulled out a tall bottle of_ sake_ with a smile. The label read _Golden Fox_. "Here we go! We've got a new member of our group traveling with us today, and a cute one besides! This means celebration! Drinks all around!"

"Not for me, thanks, I'm underage," Kazuki said.

"Not a chance, Ero-Gitsune."

"Put that away, you smell bad enough from all your drinking earlier," Gouta snapped.

"Uh…well…if Tokiko-dono doesn't want to, I should probably also not…"

"Bah!" Takeshi turned away from them, pouring out a big drink for himself. "Spoilsports…whatever, more for me."

As it was, Takeshi not only drank down the entire bottle that he'd pulled out, but half of a second one. As a result, he'd passed out before anyone and had to be unceremoniously rolled into his tent. His loud snores kept everyone else up for several hours, but eventually, sleep claimed them all.

* * *

Tokiko awoke at sunrise and came very close to activating her Valkyrie Skirt at the sight of another body in her tent, but quickly calmed down as she remembered Izumi. She shook her new companion awake and crawled outside, rolling her eyes as she took in the scene. Takeshi had not only forgotten to pack away his pile of random objects, but had left the half-empty _sake_ bottle sitting out as well. Fortunately, the fire had been put out properly, so at least the camp hadn't been at risk of burning down if the bottle spilled.

"Izumi, if you would, wake up Kazuki and Gouta. I need to give our "commanding officer" a rough lesson in environmental safety."

"If you say so, Tokiko-dono," came the automatic reply.

Tokiko's eyes rolled again. She had never had someone hero-worship her before, and she wasn't particularly enjoying it. Well, she could set Izumi straight later. For now it was time to- what was that!?

Tokiko paused, waiting for the sensation to return. There it was; the ground was definitely tremoring again. However, there was a definite difference from the vibrations the group had experienced thus far. These were not continuous, but spaced apart in increments of a few seconds, similar to strikes with a hammer or…footfalls."

"Everyone," Tokiko called, letting her voice carry through the camp, "wake up! Things are about to get rough!"

Gouta and Kazuki stumbled out of their tents, both trying to run and finish getting dressed at the same time.

"What is it, Tokiko-san?"

"Shh! Stand still. Feel that?"

The two men stopped, and upon feeling the tremors, which had started to get stronger, their eyes became as serious as Tokiko's. Gouta pulled his kakugane out while Kazuki watched the surrounding trees, hand over his chest. Takeshi…still had not roused.

"Hey, Ero-Gitsune! Get out here! We don't have time for-"

A thunderous crash ripped through the air as the trees to the south bent and fell. Stepping between them was an enormous figure, standing easily at eight full feet. The huge person seemed to be a man, with short, spiky brown hair, and an impossibly muscular frame covered in a grey, sleeveless shirt and workout pants, but his grinning mouth was also filled with sharp, triangular teeth.

"So…" he boomed, with a voice similar to the cracking of wood that he'd appeared with, "let's see what we have here…"

The giant man flared his large nostrils at them, sucking in huge breaths. As he sniffed the air, his pointed grin grew wider.

"I count four, maybe five, delicious little humans…heh, heh, heh…I wonder if it'll all fit…"

As he chuckled, a spot on the upper left of the man's chest began to gleam. It brightened until it shined through the shirt, leaving the Warriors gaping at what they saw. The mark seemed to be a homunculus emblem, but it was divided into three sections rather than two, the top two sticking out diagonally while the bottom was in the normal position. The overall design seemed a bit like a three-leaf clover.

"Homunculus!" Tokiko growled, pulling her kakugane out.

"Hm? You know me?" The giant glanced down, spotting the kakugane in Gouta and Tokiko's hands. "Ah…Alchemist Warriors. Now I get it…"

The colossus raised up one enormous foot and brought it crashing down. At the moment of impact, the ground near his feet shifted and twisted itself into another shape; one the Warriors were already familiar with.

"That…thing?"

Indeed, the shape was a match for one of the earthen monsters that the team had been fighting for the past two days. The huge homunculus reached down a hand and patted the diamond shaped head.

"Now I know why so many of my little golems haven't been coming back…Ah well, that's not such a problem. I'll just take care of the interference, and get a good meal out of it right now!"

The Warriors braced themselves, gripping their kakugane, waiting for their enemy to move. From behind, a barely audible voice issued from Takeshi's tent.

The homunculus took another step forward, shaking the ground as he moved. His smile never dimmed as he looked over the assembled group.

"Which one, which one…? Everyone looks so tasty…"

Gouta put a hand back signaling to Izumi. "Get behind me. If we try to let you run for it, this thing will be all over you."

"Um…okay…"

Izumi stared at the giant as she moved slowly, apparently not fully understanding the situation. As a result, she seemed to be quite scared.

"I think…" the homunculus paused, seeming deep in thought…then, out of nowhere, he moved, far faster than anyone his size should have been able to. "You!"

He bared his pointed teeth, aiming for Tokiko. The battle girl fixed him in her death-glare, about to call out her Busou Renkin and tear him to shreds. What happened next saved her the effort.

"I said…SHADDUP!!!"

On the final word, Takeshi had practically exploded from his tent, dressed in his shirt, cargo shorts and boots, which he had fallen asleep in, and planted a fast, flying kick directly into the face of the oncoming homunculus. The attack sent the monster shooting back into the trees, and, by the sound of it, through at least three of them. Takeshi dropped to the ground, looking intensely annoyed and clutching his forehead.

"Jeez…no respect around here at all…what good's the promotion anyway? Can't even sleep off a hangover…"

As he grumbled to himself, Takeshi was walking around the camp, eyes on the ground, apparently searching for something. His charges watched him with looks of complete disbelief.

"Are…are you a complete idiot!?" Tokiko finally screamed. "Do you have the slightest clue what's happening here!?"

"Put a lid on it, Tsumurin!" Takeshi shot back. "Gimme a moment here…ah, here we go…"

Takeshi picked up the half-full _sake _bottle and sat down with it. "This'll do it. A little hair of the fox that bit me."

"Doesn't that saying go "hair of the d-""

"_Don't_ say it!"

The Assistant Commander tilted his head back, taking a deep pull from the bottle before exhaling. At that moment, the crashing footsteps resumed and the homunculus' grinning head popped back into view.

"Heh heh heh! That was quite a good hit! This may be a more fun morning than I'd hoped!"

Takeshi glanced up, scowling. "Who the hell are you?"

"Takeshi, this guy's dangerous!" Kazuki called. "He's-"

"Hold on, Mutou-kun…"Takeshi replied. "I recognized his voice already."

The squint-eyed _sake_-lover tilted the bottle back again and drained the rest of the contents in a single gulp before slamming it back onto the ground.

"He's the guy who woke me up with all his yelling. And that means, he's got a special beating coming."

Takeshi got to his feet, cracking his knuckles. Gouta turned to him, exasperated.

"You idiot, he's a homunculus! Don't you get it!?"

At that, Takeshi paused, turning his squinted gaze back to his huge opponent. He scanned over the titanic form, finally locating the emblem. There was silence, then a laugh began to emanate from Takeshi's throat. It started small, but quickly rose into an excited cackle that bordered on insane.

"Gyaaaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Well now!" Takeshi laughed, his eyes once again open halfway and dancing with energy. "It looks like this'll be just as you said, homunculus! Quite a fun morning shaping up!"

"Heh, heh…I don't mind if you want to volunteer to be first, human. I'd be honored to oblige your death wish."

"Big talker…alright, let's see how well you back it up! Here I come!"

* * *

-- Hee hee hee! And I start the year out on a cliff-hanger!! Bwa ha ha! I can be a mean Cap'n sometimes. Well, in case anyone is still majorly confused about Izumi's bizarre quirks, the reason she acts and dresses as she does is to be explained in chapter eight. See if any of you out there can figure out who she's dressed as! I promise no prizes, but it may alleviate some boredom. Izumi's name is the Japanese word for "spring" when referring to cold water, hence Gouta's choice. (Onsen (hot spring) doesn't make a very nice name.) Anyhow, now for the coming distractions. Next time, the true enemy has finally shown their face, and Takeshi is first out of the box to fight! But what starts as a match of excitement for our fox-faced friend turns to a personal deathmatch as Takeshi learns a few things about this giant maneater. What is it about this homunculus that has gotten Takeshi mad enough to pull out even his best techniques? The real question is, against the terrifying true strength of his opponent, does he even have a chance of surviving, let alone walking away victorious? Next time-- "Drunk With Rage! Shatter the Earth With Nine Tails!"

-- The Cap'n


End file.
